31Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the dorsolateral prefrontal region in schizophrenics--a study including 50 patients and 36 controls.
BACKGROUND
In a preliminary study we found decreased phosphodiester (PDE)% values and an increased phosphomonoester (PME)/phosphodiester ratio in the dorsolateral prefrontal region (DLPFR) of 13 chronic schizophrenics vs. 14 controls using 31phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS). Since these results are in contrast to the findings of other groups, we increased our study group to a total of 50 chronic schizophrenics on stable neuroleptic medication and 36 controls to minimize the possibility of a chance result due to small sample size.


METHODS
An image-selected in vivo 31P-MRS method on a Philips Gyroscan ACS II scanner working at 1.5 T was used.


RESULTS
We could confirm our earlier findings of decreased PDE% levels in schizophrenics. Additionally, we found phosphocreatine (PCr)% and PCr/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to be increased in the schizophrenics. While no association between PME% and PDE% with neuroleptic medication was found, ATP% correlated positively and PCr/ATP negatively with the chlorpromazine equivalent dose.


CONCLUSIONS
The decreased PDE% levels might be characteristic only for chronic, neuroleptic-treated patients. The finding of altered high-energy phosphate levels can be interpreted as an indication of decreased energy-demanding processes in the DLPFR of the investigated patients compared to controls.
Psychiatric Department, University of Jena, Germany.
H P
HP
Volz
R
R
Rzanny
G
G
Rössger
G
G
Hübner
I
I
Kreitschmann-Andermahr
W A
WA
Kaiser
H
H
Sauer
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000378:metabolism; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
D010755:Organophosphates; D010725:Phosphocreatine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate