Reduced γ-Aminobutyric Acid and Glutamate+Glutamine Levels in Drug-Naïve Patients with First-Episode Schizophrenia but Not in Those at Ultrahigh Risk

Junjie Wang; Yingying Tang; Tianhong Zhang; Huiru Cui; Lihua Xu; Botao Zeng; Yu Li; Gaiying Li; Chunbo Li; Hui Liu; Zheng Lu; Jianye Zhang; Jijun Wang

doi:10.1155/2016/3915703

Neural Plasticity (Jan 2016)

Reduced γ-Aminobutyric Acid and Glutamate+Glutamine Levels in Drug-Naïve Patients with First-Episode Schizophrenia but Not in Those at Ultrahigh Risk

Junjie Wang,
Yingying Tang,
Tianhong Zhang,
Huiru Cui,
Lihua Xu,
Botao Zeng,
Yu Li,
Gaiying Li,
Chunbo Li,
Hui Liu,
Zheng Lu,
Jianye Zhang,
Jijun Wang

Affiliations

Junjie Wang: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Yingying Tang: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Tianhong Zhang: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Huiru Cui: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Lihua Xu: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Botao Zeng: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Yu Li: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Gaiying Li: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
Chunbo Li: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Hui Liu: MR Collaboration, Siemens Healthcare Ltd., Shanghai, China
Zheng Lu: Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200065, China
Jianye Zhang: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
Jijun Wang: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/3915703
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 2016

Abstract

Read online

Altered γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu) levels, and an imbalance between GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmissions have been involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear how these abnormalities impact the onset and course of psychosis. In the present study, 21 drug-naïve subjects at ultrahigh risk for psychosis (UHR), 16 drug-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES), and 23 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. In vivo GABA and glutamate+glutamine (Glx) levels in the medial prefrontal cortex were measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Medial prefrontal GABA and Glx levels in FES patients were significantly lower than those in HC and UHR, respectively. GABA and Glx levels in UHR were comparable with those in HC. In each group, there was a positive correlation between GABA and Glx levels. Reduced medial prefrontal GABA and Glx levels thus may play an important role in the early stages of schizophrenia.

Published in Neural Plasticity

ISSN: 2090-5904 (Print); 1687-5443 (Online)
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/6020

About the journal