title: Frontolimbic glutamate alterations in first episode schizophrenia: evidence from a magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
abstract: Glutamatergic dysfunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this study we performed absolute-quantification short-echo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in nine patients with first episode schizophrenia and 32 group-matched control subjects to test the hypothesis of glutamatergic dysfunction at disease onset. Regions of interest were the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left hippocampus. In the patient group absolute concentrations of glutamate were significantly higher in the prefrontal cortex and near-significantly higher in the hippocampus. The glutamate signals significantly correlated with rating scores for schizophreniform symptoms. Absolute-quantification [1H]MRS can reveal glutamatergic abnormalities which might play an important role in the pathogenesis and course of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Section for Experimental NeuroPsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Olbrich
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valerius
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rüsch
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buchert
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: Ludger Tebartz
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Van Elst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid