Study of chronic schizophrenics using ³¹P magnetic resonance chemical shift imaging

Abstract

Phosphorus-31 chemical shift imaging showed regional abnormalities of in vivo 31P NMR spectra in the brains of chronic schizophrenic patients. In the left temporal region, the level of % phosphodiesters (PDE) was increased and the level of % gamma alpha beta-ATP (obtained by summation of gamma-ATP, alpha-ATP, and beta-ATP) was decreased. In the basal ganglia, the levels of % PDE were decreased and the level of % phosphomonoesters was increased. The levels of % gamma alpha beta-ATP were increased in the right basal ganglia. The level of % phosphocreatine was decreased in the frontoparietal region. These findings may represent different patterns of dysfunction of membrane phospholipid bilayers and high-energy phosphate metabolism in the specific cerebral regions.

A review of the possible relevance of inositol and the phosphatidylinositol second messenger system (PI‐cycle) to psychiatric disorders—focus on magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies

“…In contrast to the 1 H-MRS studies, a decrease in prefrontal cortex PME concentrations were reported in both unmedicated (Pettegrew et al, 1989(Pettegrew et al, , 1991 and medicated patients with schizophrenia (Williamson et al, 1991), although no changes in PME concentrations were observed in the same brain regions of medicated patients (Volz et al, 1997(Volz et al, , 1998. Interestingly, an increase in basal ganglia PME concentrations were reported in medicated patients with schizophrenia (Fujimoto et al, 1992), as well as in the parietal cortex of both medicated and unmedicated patients (Bluml et al, 1999). Similar inconsistencies have also been reported in PDE concentrations in patient studies.…”

“…Similar inconsistencies have also been reported in PDE concentrations in patient studies. An increase in PDE concentrations was observed in the prefrontal cortex of unmedicated and medicated patients (Pettegrew et al, 1989(Pettegrew et al, , 1991Deicken et al, 1994), and in the temporal region of medicated patients (Fujimoto et al, 1992). In contrast, no alteration in the concentration of PDE was reported in the parietal cortex of both medicated (Williamson et al, 1991;Bluml et al, 1999) and unmedicated patients with schizophrenia (Bluml et al, 1999), while a decrease in PDE concentrations were reported in the prefrontal region of medicated patients (Volz et al, 1997(Volz et al, , 1998.…”

The role of mitochondrial dysfunction in psychiatric disease

“…Oxidative phosphorylation deficiency leads to changes in mitochondrial ATP production, which correlates with reduced ATP levels in the frontal and left temporal lobes of schizophrenic patients [Fujimoto et al, 1992;Volz et al, 2000]. ATP depletion and the ensuing deficiency of the energy dependent Na þ /K þ -ATPases and Ca 2þ -ATPases leads to increased Na þ and Ca 2þ flux, which impairs plasma membrane potential.…”

MR spectroscopy: its potential role for drug development for the treatment of psychiatric diseases

“…Alterations in phosphodiesters have also been reported in patients with schizophrenia (107)(108)(109)(110)(111), but with some studies in disagreement (112)(113)(114)(115). As discussed by Stanley (102), some of the variability may arise from differing detection efficiencies of broad vs narrow phosphodiester peaks.…”