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[The influence of atypical antipsychotics on brain functioning in schizophrenia. A proton magnetic resonance study]
Agata Szulc1, Beata Galińiska, Eugeniusz Tarasów
1Klinika Psychiatrii UM w Białymstoku.
Introduction:
The influence of antipsychotic medication on brain alterations in proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) in schizophrenia can be the explanation of many discrepancies observed in the previous papers.
Aim:
The aim of this study was the evaluation of antipsychotic medication effect on the metabolite levels in the brain of schizophrenic patients based on 1H MRS examination.
Methods:
The group of 32 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM-IV and 26 healthy controls were included into the study. The patients were examined twice--once after the period of at least 7 days without neuroleptics (baseline) and for the second time at least 4 weeks after stable doses ofneuroleptics (follow-up). 21 patients were receiving risperidone and 11--olanzapine. Proton resonance spectroscopy was performed on a 1.5 MR scanner. Each volume element (voxel) was localised in the left frontal lobe, in the left temporal lobe and in the left thalamus. Metabolite ratios: N-acetylaspartate (NAA) to creatine (Cr) and unsupressed water signal were analysed. Results. We found the significant increase of the NAA/Cr level in the thalamus in the group of patients treated with risperidone, we didn't observe similar changes in the olanzapine group.
Conclusions:
Our results confirm that the neuroleptic drugs, especially atypicals, modify brain metabolism measured by 1H MRS. The pattern of the changes suggest a possible neuroprotective influence of the antipsychototic treatment in schizophrenic patients. The small group of the olanzapine treated patients doses not allow to make any conclusions regarding this type of medication.
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