Association between thermal balance of the brain, inflammation and response to therapy in patients with schizophrenia.

Abstract

Introduction Disruption of cerebral thermal homeostasis accompanies various CNS diseases. Presumably, (neuro)inflammation and the changes of temperature heterogeneity of the cerebral cortex may be interrelated links in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Objectives to study the association between the brain thermal balance indicators, inflammatory markers and clinical features of the disease in patients with schizophrenia during therapy. Methods 37 patients aged 16 to 46 years with schizophrenia (F20, ICD-10) were examined. Clinical examination included psychometric assessment using PANSS, HDRS, and YMRS scales. Cortical temperature was determined by microwave radiometry. Temperature heterogeneity was assessed by calculating the Pearson correlation coefficient between temperature indicators in 9 symmetrical areas of the cerebral cortex. The activity of the proteolytic system of inflammation (ratio of leukocyte elastase (LE) and α1-proteinase inhibitor (α1-PI) activity) and the level of autoantibodies to S100B and MBP antigens were determined in patients’ blood. Results Low temperature heterogeneity is related to an increase in the activity of the proteolytic system of inflammation and a good response to therapy in most patients. High temperature heterogeneity is associated with insufficient activity of the proteolytic system of inflammation and the development of autoimmune reactions, which is accompanied by a more severe course of the pathological process and, in most cases, treatment resistance. Conclusions The association between the features of the thermal balance of the brain and inflammatory markers confirms the hypothesis of their role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Temperature heterogeneity of the brain can serve as a criterion for predicting of therapeutic response in patients with schizophrenia. Disclosure of Interest None Declared