Associations between plasma levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) and negative symptoms or cognitive impairments in early-stage schizophrenia.
Schizophrenic patients demonstrate a variety of cognitive deficits, including attention, executive functions, and working memory, even in the early stage of disease. In the present study, we examined the association between blood levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), homovanillic acid (HVA), or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and scores on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in patients with early-stage schizophrenia. We also investigated the association between frontal GABA levels using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 3T and scores on the WCST in the same patients. Blood levels of BDNF and catecholamine metabolites and brain GABA levels using 1H-MRS were measured in 18 schizophrenic patients (nine males, nine females; age range 13-52 year). A significantly positive correlation was observed between plasma MHPG levels and %PEM (rho = -0.686, p = 0.0047). A trend toward negative correlation was found between frontal lobe GABA levels and the per cent of preservation error (%PEM) in the early stage of schizophrenia (rho = -0.420, p = 0.0836). These results suggest that noradrenergic neurons might be involved in neuropsychological functions in early-stage of schizophrenia.
Goto
Naoki
N
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Yoshimura
Reiji
R
Kakeda
Shingo
S
Moriya
Junji
J
Hayashi
Kenji
K
Ikenouchi-Sugita
Atsuko
A
Umene-Nakano
Wakako
W
Hori
Hikaru
H
Ueda
Nobuhisa
N
Korogi
Yukunori
Y
Nakamura
Jun
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D009638:Norepinephrine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid