BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate dopamine synthesis in the brain of drug-free schizophrenic patients, not only in the striatum but also in extrastriatal areas like the prefrontal cortex, brain areas that for a long time has been in focus of interest in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. METHODS: PET was performed in 12 drug-free (10 drug-naive) psychotic schizophrenic patients and 10 healthy volunteers matched for age and gender using 11C-labelled L-DOPA as the tracer. The time-radioactivity curve from occipital cortex (located within Brodman area 17 and 18) was used as input function to calculate L-DOPA influx rate, Ki images, that were matched to a common brain atlas. A significant overall increase of the Ki values was found in the schizophrenic group as compared with healthy controls. RESULTS: In particular, significantly higher Ki were found in the schizophrenic patients compared to the controls in the caudate nucleus, putamen and in parts of medial prefrontal cortex (Brod 24). The Ki value reflect an increased utilization of L-DOPA, presumably due to increased activity of the amino acid decarboxylate enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the synthesis of dopamine is elevated within the striatum and parts of medial prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate dopamine synthesis in the brain of drug-free schizophrenicpatients, not only in the striatum but also in extrastriatal areas like the prefrontal cortex, brain areas that for a long time has been in focus of interest in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. METHODS: PET was performed in 12 drug-free (10 drug-naive) psychotic schizophrenicpatients and 10 healthy volunteers matched for age and gender using 11C-labelled L-DOPA as the tracer. The time-radioactivity curve from occipital cortex (located within Brodman area 17 and 18) was used as input function to calculate L-DOPA influx rate, Ki images, that were matched to a common brain atlas. A significant overall increase of the Ki values was found in the schizophrenic group as compared with healthy controls. RESULTS: In particular, significantly higher Ki were found in the schizophrenicpatients compared to the controls in the caudate nucleus, putamen and in parts of medial prefrontal cortex (Brod 24). The Ki value reflect an increased utilization of L-DOPA, presumably due to increased activity of the amino acid decarboxylate enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the synthesis of dopamine is elevated within the striatum and parts of medial prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia.
Authors: A Abi-Dargham; J Rodenhiser; D Printz; Y Zea-Ponce; R Gil; L S Kegeles; R Weiss; T B Cooper; J J Mann; R L Van Heertum; J M Gorman; M Laruelle Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2000-07-05 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Thomas W Weickert; Alejandro Terrazas; Llewellyn B Bigelow; James D Malley; Thomas Hyde; Michael F Egan; Daniel R Weinberger; Terry E Goldberg Journal: Learn Mem Date: 2002 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 2.460
Authors: Thomas W Weickert; Terry E Goldberg; Michael F Egan; Jose A Apud; Martijn Meeter; Catherine E Myers; Mark A Gluck; Daniel R Weinberger Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2010-02-20 Impact factor: 13.382