Title
Specific metabolites in the medial prefrontal cortex are associated with the neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia: A preliminary study.
Abstract
We measured brain metabolites in the medial prefrontal cortex of 19 schizophrenic patients and 18 healthy controls by 3 T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS), and examined the relationship between prefrontal cortex-related neurocognitive functions and brain metabolites in the medial prefrontal cortex. The patients with schizophrenia exhibited deficits on the verbal fluency, Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), trail making test, Stroop test and digit span distraction test (DSDT), but not on the Iowa gambling test. The patients showed statistical significant changes in the ratio of glutamine/glutamate, the ratio of N-acetyl-l-aspartate (NAA)/glycerophosphorylcholine plus phosphorylcholine (GPC+PC) and the levels of taurine in the medial prefrontal cortex compared with normal controls. Furthermore, we found significant correlations of the ratio of glutamine/glutamate with WCST and DSDT scores, the ratio of NAA/(GPC+PC) with verbal fluency and WCST scores, and the levels of taurine with scores on the Stroop test and Trail making test A among the participants. The ratios of NAA/(GPC+PC) and (GPC+PC)/(Cr+PCr) had significant relationships with the duration of untreated psychosis of the schizophrenic patients. The glutamine/glutamate ratio and levels of taurine were significantly related to the duration of illness of the patients. These data suggest that specific metabolites of the medial prefrontal cortex are associated with the neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
Year
DOI
Venue
2010
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.10.031
NeuroImage
Keywords
Field
DocType
Cognitive control,Medial prefrontal cortex,MRS,Schizophrenia,Amino acids
Developmental psychology,Verbal fluency test,Wisconsin Card Sorting Test,Psychosis,Prefrontal cortex,Trail Making Test,Psychology,Cognitive psychology,Stroop effect,Schizophrenia,Neurocognitive
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
49
3
1053-8119
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
2
0.72
1
Authors
9
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Yukihiko Shirayama120.72
Takayuki Obata211614.23
Daisuke Matsuzawa320.72
Hiroi Nonaka4191.89
Yoko Kanazawa520.72
Eiji Yoshitome620.72
Hiroo Ikehira7222.67
Kenji Hashimoto812016.60
Masaomi Iyo920.72