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N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) and N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) in Patients With Schizophrenia.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21914645     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Background: Imbalance of glutamatergic neurotransmission has been proposed as a key mechanism underlying symptoms of schizophrenia. The neuropetide N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) modulates glutamate release. NAAG provides a component of the proton magnetic resonance spectrum (1H-MRS) in humans. The signal of NAAG, however, largely overlaps with its precursor and degrading product N-acetylaspartate (NAA) that by itself does not act in glutamatergic neurotransmission. Methods. We quantified NAAG and NAA separately from the 1H-MRS signal in 20 patients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy comparison subjects on a 3.0 Tesla MR scanner. The 1H-MRS voxels were positioned in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and in the left frontal lobe. Psychopathological symptoms and cognitive performance were assessed. Results. In the ACC, the ratio NAAG/NAA was increased (P = .041) and NAAG was increased at a trend level (P = .066) in patients, while NAA was reduced (P = .030). NAA correlated with attention performance in patients (r = .64, P = .005) in the ACC. There was no group difference of NAAG, NAA, or NAAG/NAA in the frontal lobe but an inverse correlation of NAAG with negatives symptoms (Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale [PANSS] negative, r = -.58, P = .018) and with the total symptom score (PANSS total, r = -.50, P = .049). In addition, there was a positive correlation of frontal lobe NAAG (r = .53, P = .035) and NAAG/NAA (r = .54, P = .030) with episodic memory in patients. Conclusions. In this study, we present the first in vivo evidence for altered NAAG concentration in patients with schizophrenia.
Authors:
Frank Jessen; Natascha Fingerhut; Alois M Sprinkart; Kai-Uwe Kühn; Nadine Petrovsky; Wolfgang Maier; Hans-H Schild; Wolfgang Block; Michael Wagner; Frank Träber
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Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2011-9-12
Journal Detail:
Title:  Schizophrenia bulletin     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1745-1701     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Sep 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-9-14     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0236760     Medline TA:  Schizophr Bull     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
Affiliation:
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany.
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