title: In vitro 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy of postmortem brains with schizophrenia.
abstract: Some evidence suggests that thalamic dysfunction could explain some of the signs and symptoms of schizophrenia. We measured the absolute concentrations of amino acid metabolites in thalamus, frontal pole, and cerebellar vermis in extracts of postmortem brains from 8 schizophrenics and 10 controls using high-resolution 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The concentrations of N-acetyl aspartate, glutamate, and valine tended to be reduced in the thalamus of the schizophrenic group. Although it is difficult to ascribe significance to the "tendencies," these data may tend to support other data suggesting decreased thalamic volume or neuronal number in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omori
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Komoroski
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Mrak
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Karson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000737:chemistry; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate