31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies in schizophrenia

Phospholipid metabolism abnormalities have been suggested by a number of postmortem brain and red blood cell studies in schizophrenia. 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy enables the examination of phospholipid metabolism in living patients. These in vivo studies have demonstrated that schizophrenic patients have lower prefrontal levels of phosphomonoesters and higher levels of phosphodiesters compared to matched controls. Patients with psychotic depression also seem to show lower levels of phosphomonoesters compared to controls. This suggests that membrane phospholipid differences may not be specific to schizophrenia. Preliminary 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies at high field strength on postmortem temporal lobe samples show no differences between treated schizophrenic patients and controls for phosphoethanolamine and phosphocholine which are the main constituents of the phosphomonoester peak. Further studies are underway in the prefrontal region. While 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies have demonstrated membrane phospholipid abnormalities in schizophrenia, it is not clear whether these findings are specific to schizophrenia or part of a generalized membrane phospholipid abnormality.