Retinal function as a marker for cell membrane omega-3 fatty acid depletion in schizophrenia: A pilot study

Background: There is a growing body of evidence that abnormalities of the c ell membrane, particularly depletion of n-3 essential fatty acids (EFA), ar e found in patients suffering from schizophrenia. These fatty acids particu larly Docosohexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in particularly high concentrati ons in the photoreceptor cells of the retina and abnormalities of light sen sitivity have been reported in patients with schizophrenia, Animal studies have demonstrated that reduced EFA levels are associated,vith changes in th e electrophysiological response of the retina to light as measured by the e lectroretinogram (ERG), Methods: We measured the ERG of 9 patients with schizophrenia and 9 age and sex matched control subjects, All but one of the patients was medicated. Results: Schizophrenic subjects had significantly reduced a-wave amplitudes on the ERG when compared,with control subjects and the a-wave amplitude,ra s independent of the dose of antipsychotic agents being taken. The a-wave o f the ERG is thought to reflect activity of the photoreceptor cells, Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that patients with schiz ophrenia have abnormalities of photoreceptor function, which may be a resul t of reduced levels of n-3 EFA in the cell membrane. (C) 1999 Society of Bi ological Psychiatry.