The trajectory of putative astroglial dysfunction in first episode schizophrenia: a longitudinal 7-Tesla MRS study.

Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada. Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada. Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Canada. Department of Neuroscience, Western University, London, Canada. Diagnostic Imaging, St. Joseph's Health Care, London, Canada. Department of Medical Imaging, Western University, London, Canada. Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Canada. Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada. lpalaniy@uwo.ca. Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada. lpalaniy@uwo.ca. Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Canada. lpalaniy@uwo.ca. Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Canada. lpalaniy@uwo.ca. Robarts Research Institute, UWO, 1151 Richmond Street N., Room 3208, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada. lpalaniy@uwo.ca.

Scientific reports. 2021;(1):22333

Abstract

Myo-inositol is mainly found in astroglia and its levels has been shown to be reduced in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of patients with schizophrenia. We investigate the status of astroglial integrity indexed by ACC myo-inositol at the onset and over the first 6 months of treatment of first episode schizophrenia. We employed 7 T magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and quantified myo-inositol spectra at the dorsal ACC in 31 participants; 21 patients with schizophrenia with median lifetime antipsychotic exposure of less than 3 days, followed up after 6 months of treatment, and 10 healthy subjects scanned twice over the same period. We studied the time by group interaction for myo-inositol after adjusting for gender and age. We report significant reduction in myo-inositol concentration in the ACC in schizophrenia at an early, untreated state of acute illness that becomes insignificant over time, after instituting early intervention. This trajectory indicates that dynamic astroglial changes are likely to operate in the early stages of schizophrenia. MRS myo-inositol may be a critical marker of amelioration of active psychosis in early stages of schizophrenia.

Methodological quality

Publication Type : Clinical Trial

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