
Am J Psychiatry 159:130-133, January 2002
© 2002 American Psychiatric Association
High Choline Concentrations in the Caudate Nucleus in Antipsychotic-Naive Patients With Schizophrenia
Juan R. Bustillo, M.D.,
Laura M. Rowland, M.A.,
John Lauriello, M.D.,
Helen Petropoulos, B.E.,
Roger Hammond, M.D.,
Blaine Hart, M.D., and
William M. Brooks, Ph.D.
OBJECTIVE: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies of medicated patients with schizophrenia suggest high choline levels in the caudate nucleus. However, assessments of antipsychotic-naive patients are needed. METHOD: The authors studied 11 antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia patients and 11 normal comparison subjects with single-voxel 1H-MRS of the left caudate nucleus. Concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, choline, and creatine were determined and corrected for the proportion of cerebrospinal fluid in the voxel. RESULTS: The patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher levels of choline than the comparison subjects, while the other two metabolites did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: High caudate choline levels in schizophrenia are not secondary to antipsychotic treatment.
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