Further evidence for altered cerebellar neuronal integrity in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to investigate the distribution of metabolites and voxel composition in the pons and three cerebellar subregions and compare metabolite integral values and differences in voxel composition between patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects.


METHODS
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging was used to study the cerebellum and pons of 14 patients with schizophrenia and 14 healthy comparison subjects.


RESULTS
The voxel composition was not significantly different between the groups, but the patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower N-acetylaspartate levels in the cerebellar cortex and vermis.


CONCLUSIONS
The lower integral value of N-acetylaspartate in the cerebellar cortex and the vermis of patients with schizophrenia supports the theory of a dysfunctional corticocerebellar-thalamic-cortical circuit in schizophrenia.
Ende
Gabriele
G
NMR Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany. ende@zi-mannheim.de
Hubrich
Petra
P
Walter
Sigrid
S
Weber-Fahr
Wolfgang
W
Kämmerer
Nina
N
Braus
Dieter F
DF
Henn
Fritz A
FA
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D011149:Pons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate