OBJECTIVE: The authors measured the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate (a
putative neuronal marker) to creatine-phosphocreatine in patients with
first-episode psychosis by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy
(MRS). METHOD: Temporal lobe 1H MRS was performed bilaterally on 13
patients with first-episode psychosis and 15 comparison subjects. The N-
acetyl aspartate/creatine-phosphocreatine and choline/creatine-
phosphocreatine ratios were determined. RESULTS: The N-acetyl
aspartate/creatine-phosphocreatine ratio of the psychotic patients was
significantly lower than that of the comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS:
These preliminary data suggest that abnormalities in temporal lobe N-
acetyl aspartate concentration are present early in psychotic illness.Abstract Teaser