Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy changes in a longitudinal schizophrenia study: a pilot study in eleven patients

Figures & data

Figure 1 Voxel location: left frontal lobe (A), left temporal lobe (B), left thalamus (C), and ¹H spectrum – raw and fitted data for each region.

Abbreviations: NAA, N-acetylaspartate; Glx, GABA, glutamine, glutamate; Cho, choline-containing compounds; Cr, creatine plus phosphocreatine; mI, myoinositol.

Table 1 Neurochemical findings in patients with schizophrenia during index hospitalization and at 5-year follow-up

Metabolite ratios	Baseline	Follow-up	P-value
Left frontal lobe
NAA/Cr	2.00±0.34	1.68±0.26	0.236
Cho/Cr	1.04±0.15	1.02±0.15	0.612
mI/Cr	0.73±0.13	0.83±0.13	0.398
Glx/Cr	2.12±0.48	1.88±0.12	0.236
NAA/H2O	0.47±0.06	0.46±0.03	0.398
Cho/H2O	0.27±0.04	0.28±0.03	0.236
mI/H2O	0.19±0.04	0.23±0.06	0.176
Glx/H2O	0.54±0.09	0.51±0.06	0.612
Cr/H2O	0.25±0.04	0.27±0.03	0.345
Left temporal lobe
NAA/Cr	1.88±0.50	1.86±0.13	1.000
Cho/Cr	0.96±0.19	0.94±0.25	0.068
mI/Cr	0.69±0.13	0.62±0.30	1.000
Glx/Cr	2.41±0.44	2.33±0.62	0.285
NAA/H2O	0.40±0.05	0.48±0.10	0.179
Cho/H2O	0.24±0.03	0.22±0.07	0.592
mI/H2O	0.18±0.07	0.16±0.11	1.000
Glx/H2O	0.57±0.16	0.56±0.07	0.285
Cr/H2O	0.24±0.05	0.23±0.09	0.592
Left thalamus
NAA/Cr	1.99±0.29	1.86±0.28	0.345
Cho/Cr	0.88±0.08	0.90±0.20	0.463
mI/Cr	0.61±0.20	0.59±0.09	0.463
Glx/Cr	1.90±0.43	1.87±0.27	0.500
NAA/H2O	0.53±0.06	0.53±0.02	0.916
Cho/H2O	0.25±0.03	0.25±0.03	0.465
mI/H2O	0.15±0.04	0.21±0.12	0.345
Glx/H2O	0.48±0.12	0.53±0.04	0.079
Cr/H2O	0.28±0.03	0.28±0.04	1.000

Notes: Ratios given as mean ± SD. Wilcoxon’s test was used for testing group differences.

Abbreviations: NAA, N-acetylaspartate; Glx, GABA, glutamine, glutamate; Cho, choline-containing compounds; Cr, creatine plus phosphocreatine; mI, myoinositol.

Figure 2 Correlation between 5-year difference in frontal NAA levels and duration of last antipsychotic treatment (R=0.908, P=0.012).

Abbreviation: NAA, N-acetylaspartate.

Table 2 Clinical and cognitive findings in patients with schizophrenia during index hospitalization and at 5-year follow-up

	Baseline	Follow-up	P-value
CGI	4.64±0.92	3.91±1.22	0.066
GAF	49.1±9.70	59.5±16.80	0.011*
CDSS	8.7±7.18	3.7±3.41	0.011*
PANSS total	75.0±9.28	63.3±18.11	0.061
PANSS positive	17.8±3.25	14.8±5.12	0.059
PANSS negative	19.7±4.29	18.5±5.28	0.078
PANSS general	37.5±4.66	29.9±9.07	0.024*
TEs	36.3±27.77	31.3±22.93	0.398
PEs	19.4±14.94	14.9±10.75	0.151
NPEsa	11.5	11.0	0.833
CCsa	6.0	6.0	0.422
TCCsa	11.5	12.0	0.865

Notes: Data given as mean ± SD or

a median (variables with abnormal distribution, Shapiro–Wilk test). Wilcoxon’s test was used for testing group differences.

* P<0.05.

Abbreviations: CGI, Clinical Global Impression; GAF, Global Assessment of Functioning; PANSS, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; CDSS, Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia; TEs, total errors; PEs, perseverative errors; NPEs, nonperseverative errors; CCs, categories completed; TCCs, trials to complete first category.