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Reduced Concentrations of Thalamic N-Acetylaspartate in Male Patients With Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: The authors measured N-acetylaspartate (a putative neuronal marker) in the right and left thalamus of 17 male patients with schizophrenia using in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (¹H MRSI). METHOD: ¹H MRSI was performed on 17 medicated male patients with schizophrenia and 10 male comparison subjects. Concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, creatine, and choline were determined in the thalamic regions bilaterally. RESULTS: The patients with schizophrenia demonstrated significantly lower concentrations of N-acetylaspartate than the comparison subjects in both the right and left thalamic regions. Right thalamic N-acetylaspartate and left thalamic N-acetylaspartate were significantly correlated in the patients but not in the comparison subjects. There was no association between N-acetylaspartate and duration of illness or medication dose. No group differences or lateralized asymmetries in choline or creatine were noted. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of reduced concentrations of N-acetylaspartate bilaterally suggests neuronal dysfunction and/or loss in both the right and left thalamic regions in male patients with schizophrenia.

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