Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
Published on: September 8, 2021
Associations between glutamate and cerebral blood flow in treatment-resistant schizophrenia during clozapine
Junyu Sun1, Fernando Zelaya2, Kyra-Verena Sendt1
1Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
Background:
Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) is associated with alterations in glutamate levels and cerebral blood flow (CBF), and treatment with clozapine appears to have an impact on each of these measures. Here, we examined whether changes in CBF and glutamate levels following clozapine treatment are related.
Methods:
Glutamate concentrations in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and striatum (measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, 1H-MRS); and whole brain regional CBF maps (measured using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling (pCASL)), were examined in a cohort of TRS subjects before and after 12 weeks of treatment with clozapine (baseline: N = 30; week 12: N = 20).
Results:
The longitudinal change in striatal glutamate during treatment was positively associated with the longitudinal change in striatal CBF (p < 0.05). In the ACC, higher Glx (glutamate + glutamine) and CBF prior to treatment were associated with greater subsequent improvement in total symptom severity.
Conclusions:
These results indicate that there is a direct relationship between changes in glutamate activity and CBF in the striatum following clozapine treatment. Future research could investigate whether glutamate-CBF relationships exist in other stages of psychosis or schizophrenia and during treatment with other antipsychotic medications. Associations with clinical outcomes could be explored in larger samples.
More Related Videos
08:04Derivation, Expansion, Cryopreservation and Characterization of Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: November 19, 2020
04:44Author Spotlight: Studying Drug Impacts on Brain Signals Using Dual LFP Recording Protocol in Mice
Published on: February 16, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications
Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia