title: Relationship between frontal N-acetylaspartate and cognitive deficits in first-episode schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels in selected brain regions and cognitive performance in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients (20 male, 10 female; mean age: 22.5 years) with the diagnosis of first-episode schizophrenia and 19 comparable healthy controls were studied. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) was used to assess cognitive functions. MR imaging and MR spectroscopy examinations were performed on a 1.5 T scanner. Voxels of 8 cm3 were positioned in the left frontal lobe, left temporal lobe, and left thalamus. The ratio of NAA to creatine and the ratio of NAA to unsuppressed water signal were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients performed significantly worse than controls on measures of the WCST. In the patient group, NAA levels in the frontal lobe were significantly related to poorer WCST performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cognitive impairment related to dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex in first-episode schizophrenia is associated with NAA level in the frontal lobe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland. begal@poczta.onet.pl <begal@poczta.onet.pl>
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galińska
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szulc
authors.forename: Eugeniusz
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tarasów
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kubas
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dzienis
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Siergiejczyk
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czernikiewicz
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walecki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate