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Associations between brain and blood metabolites with gastrointestinal discomfort in schizophrenia and healthy
Aleksander Turek1, Natalia Śmierciak1, Marta Szwajca1
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Chair of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, 31-501, Poland.
Introduction:
Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the severity of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in schizophrenia. While abnormalities in neurometabolic pathways have been implicated in both schizophrenia and GI disorders, little is known about the biological underpinnings of GI discomfort in schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between brain metabolite concentrations, blood biomarkers, and self-reported GI symptom severity in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.
Methods:
Thirty-six patients with schizophrenia in remission (SCZ) and 35 age-matched healthy participants (CON) underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the anterior (ACC) and posterior (PCC) cingulate cortex. Blood samples were analysed for laboratory parameters including liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry. The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) was used to assess gastrointestinal symptom discomfort. SCZ were evaluated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
Results:
No significant differences were observed between the SCZ and CON groups in the total GSRS score or any of the subscales. In SCZ, positive correlations between N-acetylaspartate in the ACC and GSRS scores were observed, with the most significant result for abdominal discomfort (FDR-r = 0.59; p < 0.01). In SCZ, valeric acid concentration positively correlated with abdominal discomfort (r = 0.38; p < 0.05), and with N-acetylaspartate in the ACC, and glutamine in the ACC and PCC. In CON, platelet distribution width correlated with reflux discomfort (FDR-r = 0.64; p < 0.05), and butyrate concentration negatively correlated with diarrhea symptoms (r = -0.46; p < 0.01). No significant associations between PANSS and GSRS scores were observed.
Conclusions:
Although overall GI symptom severity did not differ between groups, schizophrenia patients demonstrated distinct associations between GI discomfort, brain neurometabolites, and peripheral biomarkers.
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