title: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of brain metabolite changes after antipsychotic treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) enables the observation of brain function in vivo. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of antipsychotic medication on metabolite levels in the brain of schizophrenic patients based on a ¹H MRS examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 42 patients previously diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia twice: firstly, after the neuroleptic wash-out (baseline) and secondly, under stable medication (follow-up, after treatment). The study had a naturalistic design and several different neuroleptic medications were used during the treatment phase. The clinical evaluation, MRI and MRS procedures were performed. The group of 26 healthy controls were also examined to compare MRS results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significantly lower NAA/Cr (N-acetylaspartate/creatine) ratio in the frontal lobe and thalamus in patients (after the wash-out) as compared to controls. After treatment a significant decrease of the Glx/Cr ratio in the temporal lobe and a trend for an increase of the NAA/Cr ratio in the thalamus were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirm that antipsychotic medication modifies brain metabolism measured by means of ¹H MRS. The pattern of the changes suggests a neuroprotective action of antipsychotic medication in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Bialystok, Choroszcz, Poland. agataszulc@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szulc
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galinska
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tarasow
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waszkiewicz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Konarzewska
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poplawska
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bibulowicz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Simonienko
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walecki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D005973:Glutamine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate