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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
Published on: September 8, 2021
Assessing plasma and brain glutamate in treatment resistant and non-resistant schizophrenia: a peripheral-central
Muhammad Abdullah1, Shih-Hsien Lin2, Li-Chung Huang3
1Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Background:
The role of peripheral glutamate as an accessible biomarker for schizophrenia remains unclear. Its potential to reflect illness progression or differentiate treatment-resistant (TRS) from non-resistant (non-TRS) patients, and its relationship with central glutamate, require further investigation. This exploratory study assessed plasma glutamate levels and their associations with anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) glutamate in both TRS and non-TRS patients. Additionally, we examined associations between plasma glutamate and clinical characteristics, including psychiatric and cognitive measures.
Methods:
We examined 71 patients (33 non-TRS, 38 TRS). Plasma glutamate was measured using colorimetry, and ACC and mPFC glutamate were assessed via Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS).
Results:
Plasma glutamate levels were significantly higher in non-TRS compared to TRS patients. However, there was no significant correlation between plasma glutamate and ACC or mPFC glutamate in either group. Furthermore, plasma glutamate was not associated with clinical measures, including Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores, aggression scores, general scores, or the working memory index.
Conclusion:
There is preliminary evidence that peripheral glutamate levels are lower in TRS compared to non-TRS patients; however, peripheral glutamate does not appear to reliably reflect brain glutamate levels or symptom severity in schizophrenia.
