Reduced phosphodiesters and high-energy phosphates in the frontal lobe of schizophrenic patients: A P-31 chemical shift spectroscopic-imaging study

Background: (31)Phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been widely used to evaluate schizophrenic patients in comparison to control subjects, because it allows the investigation of both phospholipid and energy metabo lism in vivo; however, the results achieved so far are inconsistent. Chemic al shift imaging (CSI) has the advantage that instead of only one or a few preselected voxels the tissue of a whole brain slice can be examined. The a im of the present investigation was to determine whether the results of pre vious studies of our group, showing that phosphodiesters (PDE) are decrease d in the frontal lobe of schizophrenic patients as compared to control subj ects, might De confirmed in art independent unmedicated patient sample usin g the CSI technique. Methods: A carefully selected new cohort including 11 neuroleptic-free schi zophrenic patients and 11 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects was recruited. CSI was applied and an innovative analysis method for CSI da ta based on a general linear model was used. Results: PDE, phosphocreatine, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were found to be significantly decreased in the frontal lobe of patients with schizoph renia. Conclusions: Because PDE was decreased in schizophrenic patients, the membr ane phospholipid hypothesis of schizophrenia could not be corroborated. Fur ther results indicate decreased ATP production in the frontal lobe of patie nts with schizophrenia. (C) 2000 Society of Biological Psychiatry.