title: [Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion tensor imaging study of first-episode patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes in the frontal white matter, the head of the hippocampus, and the anterior cingulate fasciculus metabolites in first-episode patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty first-episode patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and proton multi-voxel spectroscopy (1H-MRS) examination. 1H-MRS images were obtained from two sides of the frontal white matter, the head of the hippocampus and the anterior cingulate fasciculus regions. The metabolites detected included N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline-containing compounds (Cho), creatine and phosphocreatine (Cr), and the ratios of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and NAA/Cho were determined. The fractional anisotropy (FA) values were measured in the frontal white matter, the head of the hippocampus, and the anterior cingulate fasciculus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Cho/Cr ratio was significantly reduced in the left frontal white matter (1.18 ± 0.21) of the patients as compared to the right side (1.44 ± 0.34, P<0.05). In the left head of the hippocampus, NAA/Cr (1.34 ± 0.45) and Cho/Cr (1.41 ± 0.39) were significantly reduced compared to those of the right side (1.75 ± 0.15 and 1.76 ± 0.36, respectively, P<0.05). No significant differences in the metabolite levels were found between the left and right anterior cingulate fasciculus (P>0.05). DTI showed similar FA values between the left and right sides of the frontal white matter, the head of the hippocampus, and the anterior cingulate fasciculus (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia have diminished neuronal integrity and/or function in the left frontal white matter and head of the hippocampus, but not in the anterior cingulate fasciculus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. Yanbinjia2006@163.com
authors.forename: Yan-Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Shu-Ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline