Regional brain metabolism in schizophrenia: An FDG-PET study

Recent technological advances have established beyond any doubt the biological nature of schizophrenia. Functional neuroimaging using FDG-PET forms an important technique in understanding the biological underpinnings of psychopathology of schizophrenia.

Eighteen male patients diagnosed as having schizophrenia and having active psychosis as determined by PANSS were subjected to FDG-PET scanning under resting conditions. The glucose uptake in selected regions of interest was studied across the spectrum of schizophrenia.

Chronicity and severity of illness did not influence cerebral glucose metabolism. Participants with negative schizophrenia had significantly decreased metabolism in all regions of the brain as compared to the positive type. The positive syndrome of schizophrenia was associated with significantly increased glucose metabolism in the medial temporal regions, basal ganglia and left thalamic regions. Hypometabolism was also noted in the cerebellum.

While a number of brain areas can be identified as potential causative regions and hypotheses regarding putative mechanisms can be formed, the considerable heterogeneity of schizophrenia poses a great challenge in the precise delineation of the disease process.