MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING VOLUMETRIC AND PHOSPHORUS-31 MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY MEASUREMENTS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between phos phorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)p MRS) parameters and left prefrontal volumes in both patients with schizophrenia and healthy su bjects. P-31 MRS parameters and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volum etric data were collected in the left prefrontal region in 10 patients with schizophrenia and 10 healthy subjects of comparable age, handedn ess, sex, educational level, and parental educational level. No correl ations were found between any MRS parameter and grey matter volumes in the combined subjects, Phosphomonoester (PME) and grey matter volumes , however, were both correlated negatively with age, PMEs were found t o be decreased, and calculated intracellular magnesium ([Mg2+](intra)) was found to be increased in the patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy subjects after adjusting for left prefrontal grey and wh ite matter, total brain volume, and age, These findings suggest that c ortical grey and white matter volumes are not directly related to PME and [Mg2+](intra) abnormalities in schizophrenia patients.