HUMAN BRAIN METABOLISM
Normal Values and Values in Certain Clinical States.
JOSEPH WORTIS M. D.1,
KARL M. BOWMAN M. D.1, , and
WALTER GOLDFARB M. D.1
1 The Psychiatric Division of Bellevue Hospital, and the Department of Psychiatry, New York University College of Medicine, New York, N. Y.
The metabolism of the brain was studied in normal, schizophrenic, paretic and senile subjects, and the effect of alcohol, paraldehyde and morphine was studied. Arterio-venous differences for oxygen, carbon dioxide, glucose and lactic acid were determined by means of internal jugular puncture. The observations support the following conclusions:
1. The O2 arterio-venous difference of the brain in schizophrenics, both before and after insulin therapy, is normal.
2. In general paresis the O2 arterio-venous difference of the brain shows a slight diminution of questionable significance.
3. The O2 arterio-venous difference of the brain in patients with cerebral arteriosclerosis is normal, but their systemic circulation is somewhat slow. This would indicate a reduced brain metabolism.
4. The O2 arterio-venous difference in chronic alcoholism tends to be higher than normal and is associated with an elevated arterial glucose level.
5. Alcohol and morphine diminish the O2 arterio-venous difference of the brain.
6. In therapeutic doses paraldehyde did not diminish the O2 arterio-venous difference of the brain of chronic alcoholic patients.
