ALTERED FRONTOSTRIATAL RELATIONSHIP IN UNMEDICATED SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

Positron emission tomography with [F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose as t racer was used to investigate frontal glucose metabolism in 15 unmedic ated schizophrenic patients and 15 healthy subjects under resting cond itions. Although no difference in absolute frontal cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMR(glu)) were found between schizophrenic patients and control subjects, relative measures significantly differentiated t he two groups. Whole frontal metabolism and frontocaudate ratio were s ignificantly decreased in both hemispheres in the patients. The result s confirm the existence of hypofrontality in unmedicated schizophrenia and indicate disturbances in metabolic relationships between the fron tal cortex and the striatum in this disorder.