High choline concentrations in the caudate nucleus in antipsychotic-naive patients with schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) studies of medicated patients with schizophrenia suggest high choline levels in the caudate nucleus. However, assessments of antipsychotic-naive patients are needed.


METHODS
The authors studied 11 antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia patients and 11 normal comparison subjects with single-voxel (1)H-MRS of the left caudate nucleus. Concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, choline, and creatine were determined and corrected for the proportion of cerebrospinal fluid in the voxel.


RESULTS
The patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher levels of choline than the comparison subjects, while the other two metabolites did not differ between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
High caudate choline levels in schizophrenia are not secondary to antipsychotic treatment.
Bustillo
Juan R
JR
Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, 87131, USA. jbustillo@salud.unm.edu
Rowland
Laura M
LM
Lauriello
John
J
Petropoulos
Helen
H
Hammond
Roger
R
Hart
Blaine
B
Brooks
William M
WM
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism*; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*
D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline