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Neural changes associated with appetite information processing in schizophrenic patients after 16 weeks of olanzapine

E Stip1, O V Lungu, K Anselmo

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada. emmanuel.stip@umontreal.ca

Translational Psychiatry
|June 21, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Olanzapine treatment in schizophrenia patients led to weight gain and altered brain activity in response to food cues. These neural changes correlated with metabolic shifts and appetite regulation measures, offering insights into antipsychotic side effects.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Metabolic Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Atypical antipsychotics like olanzapine are linked to metabolic side effects, including weight gain and diabetes.
  • Neuronal processing of food-related information during antipsychotic treatment remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of olanzapine on metabolic profiles, cognitive functions, and brain activity related to food regulation in schizophrenia patients.
  • To explore the correlation between neural changes, metabolic alterations, and appetite control.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess brain activity during a visual food stimuli task.
  • Schizophrenia patients and healthy controls were scanned before and after 16 weeks of olanzapine treatment.
  • Metabolic markers (ghrelin, triglycerides, insulin, leptin) and cognitive measures were assessed.

Main Results:

  • Olanzapine treatment resulted in weight gain, increased waist circumference, and reduced positive schizophrenia symptoms.
  • Patients showed altered plasma concentrations of ghrelin, triglycerides, insulin, and leptin.
  • Neural activity in response to appetitive stimuli increased in premotor, somatosensory, and fusiform areas, normalizing to healthy control levels.
  • Increased sensitivity to appetitive stimuli was observed in the insular cortex, amygdala, and cerebellum in patients post-treatment.
  • Neural and metabolic changes correlated with appetite regulation measures.

Conclusions:

  • Olanzapine treatment significantly impacts brain activity related to food cue processing and metabolic parameters in schizophrenia patients.
  • The observed neural alterations in response to food stimuli may contribute to the metabolic side effects associated with olanzapine.
  • Findings highlight the complex interplay between antipsychotic medication, brain function, metabolism, and appetite regulation.

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