A short echo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the left mesial-temporal lobe in first-onset schizophrenic patients.
BACKGROUND
Past 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies of the temporal lobe in schizophrenic patients have shown decreased levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) suggesting reduced neuronal density in this region. However, the measured volumes have been large and included contributions from mostly white matter.


METHODS
Short echo 1H MRS was used to measure levels of NAA and other metabolites (i.e., glutamate and glutamine) from a 6 cm3 volume in the left mesial-temporal lobe of 11 first-episode schizophrenic patients and 11 healthy control subjects of comparable age, gender, handedness, education, and parental education levels. Spectra were quantified without operator interaction using automated software developed in our laboratory. Metabolite levels were normalized to the internal water concentration of each volume studied. Images were also obtained to determine temporal lobe gray and white matter volumes.


RESULTS
No significant differences were found between levels of NAA or other metabolites, or gray and white matter volumes, in first-episode schizophrenic patients and comparison subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Since the volume studied was small compared to previous studies and contained mostly gray matter, this result suggests consequential NAA decreases may be restricted to regions of white matter.
Bartha
R
R
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Magnetic Resonance, St. Joseph's Health Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
al-Semaan
Y M
YM
Williamson
P C
PC
Drost
D J
DJ
Malla
A K
AK
Carr
T J
TJ
Densmore
M
M
Canaran
G
G
Neufeld
R W
RW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D011522:Protons; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D011522:Protons; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate