Regional brain function in schizophrenia. II. Repeated evaluation with positron emission tomography

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder characterized by disruptions in thought processes, perceptions, and emotional responsiveness.
• Previous research suggests alterations in cerebral glucose metabolism in individuals with schizophrenia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate longitudinal changes in cerebral glucose metabolism in schizophrenia patients.
• To examine the relationship between neuroleptic treatment, clinical status, and metabolic patterns.

Main Methods:

• Positron emission tomography (PET) with 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose was used to measure cerebral glucose metabolism.
• 15 patients with schizophrenia and 8 healthy controls underwent two PET scans separated by 3-33 weeks.
• Patients were unmedicated during the first scan and medicated with neuroleptics during the second.

Main Results:

• No significant changes in average whole-brain metabolic rates or regional cortical activity were observed between the two studies.
• The steeper subcortical to cortical glucose metabolism gradient in schizophrenics persisted across both studies.
• Increased right relative to left hemispheric metabolism was correlated with clinical improvement in schizophrenia patients.

Conclusions:

• The findings support the hypothesis of abnormal hemispheric activity in schizophrenia.
• The subcortical-cortical glucose metabolism gradient represents a stable abnormality in schizophrenia.
• Hemispheric metabolic lateralization may serve as a potential biomarker for treatment response in schizophrenia.