31Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the temporal lobes in schizophrenia

Eleven schizophrenic patients and nine normal controls were studied using in vivo 31Phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) to test the hypothesis of metabolic asymmetry in the temporal lobes in schizophrenia. The controls did not demonstrate any asymmetry of phosphorous metabolite ratios, percentage of phosphorous metabolites, or pH. In the schizophrenics, however, phosphocreatine/beta-adenosine triphosphate (PCr/beta-ATP) and phosphocreatine/inorganic phosphate (PCr/Pi) effects appeared to primarily reflect higher ratios on the right side, while the percentage of beta-ATP appeared to primarily reflect higher relative concentrations in the left temporal lobe. Moreover, significant negative correlations were noted between total Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores and PCr/beta-ATP in both the right and left temporal lobes. These results support the hypothesis of an asymmetric distribution of 31P metabolites in the temporal lobe of schizophrenic patients, and also show an association between temporal lobe phosphorous metabolism and the severity of psychiatric symptomatology.