Cortical effects of quetiapine in first-episode schizophrenia: a preliminary functional magnetic resonance imaging study.
BACKGROUND
Quetiapine improves both psychotic symptoms and cognitive function in schizophrenia. The neural basis of these actions is poorly understood.


METHODS
Three subject groups underwent a single functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session: drug-naive (n = 7) and quetiapine-treated samples of patients with schizophrenia (n = 8) and a healthy control group (n = 8). The fMRI session included an overt verbal fluency task and a passive auditory stimulation task.


RESULTS
In the verbal fluency task, there was significantly increased activation in the left inferior frontal cortex in the quetiapine-treated patients and the healthy control sample compared with the drug-naive sample. During auditory stimulation, the healthy control group and stably treated group produced significantly greater activation in the superior temporal gyrus than the drug-naive sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Quetiapine treatment is associated with altered blood oxygen level-dependent responses in both the prefrontal and temporal cortex that cannot be accounted for by improved task performance subsequent to drug treatment.
Jones
Hugh M
HM
Section of Neurochemical Imaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, 1 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. hugh.jones@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Brammer
Michael J
MJ
O'Toole
Mary
M
Taylor
Tess
T
Ohlsen
Ruth I
RI
Brown
Richard G
RG
Purvis
Richard
R
Williams
Steven
S
Pilowsky
Lyn S
LS
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D000077463:Carbamide Peroxide; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010545:Peroxides / Q000097:blood; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014508:Urea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000187:drug effects
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D004338:Drug Combinations; D010545:Peroxides; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D000077463:Carbamide Peroxide; D014508:Urea