title: Polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration predicts myelin integrity in early-phase psychosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  White matter (WM) abnormalities have been implicated in schizophrenia, yet the mechanisms underlying these abnormalities are not fully understood. Several lines of evidence suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play a role in myelination, and there is substantial evidence documenting decreased PUFA concentrations in schizophrenia. We therefore hypothesized that lower membrane PUFA concentrations may be related to reduced WM integrity in schizophrenia and related disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 30 male patients with a recent-onset psychotic disorder, erythrocyte membrane PUFA concentrations were assessed and diffusion tensor imaging was performed with voxelwise analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower total PUFA concentration was associated with lower fractional anisotropy (FA) throughout the corpus callosum and bilateral parietal, occipital, temporal and frontal WM (P < .05, corrected). Of the individual PUFAs, lower arachidonic acid concentration, and to a lesser extent, lower nervonic acid, linoleic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid concentration were significantly associated with lower FA. PUFA concentrations were inversely associated with radial diffusivity but showed little association with axial diffusivity. Greater severity of negative symptoms was associated with lower nervonic acid concentration and lower FA values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Membrane PUFA concentrations appear to be robustly related to brain WM integrity in early phase psychosis. These findings may provide a basis for studies to investigate the effects of PUFA supplementation on WM integrity and associated symptomatology in early psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. BPeters1@NSHS.edu
authors.forename: Bart D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Marise W J
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Machielsen
authors.forename: Wendela P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Hoen
authors.forename: Matthan W A
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Caan
authors.forename: Anil K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Szeszko
authors.forename: Marinus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Silvia D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Olabarriaga
authors.forename: Lieuwe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Haan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; C013147:nervonic acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid; C026219:docosapentaenoic acid