title: Reducedγ-Aminobutyric Acid and Glutamate+Glutamine Levels in Drug-Naïve Patients with First-Episode Schizophrenia but Not in Those at Ultrahigh Risk.
abstract: Alteredγ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu) levels, and an imbalance between GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmissions have been involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear how these abnormalities impact the onset and course of psychosis. In the present study, 21 drug-naïve subjects at ultrahigh risk for psychosis (UHR), 16 drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES), and 23 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. In vivo GABA and glutamate+glutamine (Glx) levels in the medial prefrontal cortex were measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Medial prefrontal GABA and Glx levels in FES patients were significantly lower than those in HC and UHR, respectively. GABA and Glx levels in UHR were comparable with those in HC. In each group, there was a positive correlation between GABA and Glx levels. Reduced medial prefrontal GABA and Glx levels thus may play an important role in the early stages of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4536-9664
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Tianhong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Huiru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Botao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Gaiying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Chunbo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: MR Collaboration, Siemens Healthcare Ltd., Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2803-1496
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Jianye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
authors.forename: Jijun
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5427-7425
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid