Functional brain imaging of a catatonic type of schizophrenia: PET and SPECT studies

A brain imaging study was conducted in the case of a catatonic type of schizophrenia (DSM-IIIR) by applying (i) positron emission tomography (PET) and (ii) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A PET study using [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose revealed a lower glucose utilization in the dorsal frontal and parietal lobes of both cerebral hemispheres. Correlative SPECT studies using [123I]-iodoamphetamine showed a diminished regional cerebral blood flow in similar regions of the cerebral hemisphere. A three-dimensional volume rendering method of the SPECT images (TITAN) identified the dorsal region of the fronto-parietal lobe as the most severely affected region. These patterns of deficits implicated the role of the dorsal frontal and parietal lobes in the pathogenesis of catatonic syndromes.