title: Metabolite changes and gender differences in schizophrenia using 3-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS).
abstract: A change in the glutamatergic system is thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in metabolites, including glutamate (Glu), in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the left basal ganglia (ltBG) of patients with chronic schizophrenia using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS). In addition, since gender differences in this illness were known, we examined the effects of gender on these metabolites. The (1)H-MRS was performed on the ACC and ltBG of 30 patients with schizophrenia and 25 healthy individuals who acted as the control group. The levels of Glu, glutamine (Gln), creatine plus phosphocreatine (Cre), myo-inositol (mI), N-acetylaspartate (NAA), and choline-containing compounds (Cho) were measured. Two-way analysis of variance revealed that the illness significantly affected the levels of Glu and mI in the ACC; both metabolites were lower in the patients with schizophrenia as compared to the control subjects. The results also revealed that gender significantly affected the level of Gln in the ACC and the levels of Cre and NAA in the ltBG; the level of Gln in the ACC were higher in male subjects versus female subjects, whereas Cre and NAA levels in the ltBG were lower in male subjects as compared to female subjects. These results confirmed a change in the glutamatergic system and suggested an involvement of mI in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Course of Integrated Brain Sciences, Medical Informatics, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Japan. stato-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shin'Ya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tayoshi
authors.forename: Satsuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumitani
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Sumiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shibuya-Tayoshi
authors.forename: Shusuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Numata
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iga
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakataki
authors.forename: Shu-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohmori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000378:metabolism; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011522:Protons; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline