3 research outputs found
Regional brain metabolism in schizophrenia: The influence of antipsychotics
Background: Schizophrenia has been associated with a plethora of
metabolic changes in the brain that vary with duration and type of
psychoses. Additionally, it has been observed that antipsychotics can
further alter cerebral glucose metabolism. These changes resulting from
antipsychotics have been postulated to be reflective of the duration
and mechanism of action of the medication. Aims: We aimed to examine
the influence of antipsychotics on brain metabolism in individuals with
schizophrenia in a naturalistic setting. Settings and Design: A
cross-sectional study was carried out by the psychiatry department of a
tertiary care hospital in collaboration with the Radiation Medicine
Centre. Materials and Methods: Eighteen male patients with
schizophrenia in different phases of treatment underwent an
18F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan in a resting state
12 hours after the last dose of antipsychotic. Statistical Analysis:
The types and duration of treatment were then compared with the
regional glucose uptake in 14 predetermined regions of interest. The
relative Uptake Values were further compared using SPSS 11.0. Results:
An immediate increase followed by a decrease in cortical uptake was
noted while the basal ganglia uptake remained high, albeit with a
decreasing trend. Typical antipsychotics were associated with lower
frontal cortical and higher basal ganglia and cerebellar uptake as
compared to atypical antipsychotics. Conclusion: The differential
influence of the type and duration of antipsychotic on glucose uptake
suggests a possible trend towards long-term side effects with typical
medications that were not noted on clinical examination. This however
needs to be confirmed with larger, controlled studies