Negative Correlation between Brain Glutathione Level and Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A 3T 1H-MRS Study

BACKGROUND: Glutathione (GSH), a major intracellular antioxidant, plays a role in NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission, which is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether GSH levels are altered in the posterior medial frontal cortex of schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, we examined correlations between GSH levels and clinical variables in patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Twenty schizophrenia patients and 16 age- and gender-matched normal controls were enrolled to examine the levels of GSH in the posterior medial frontal cortex by using 3T SIGNA EXCITE (1)H-MRS with the spectral editing technique, MEGA-PRESS. Clinical variables of patients were assessed by the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Drug-Induced Extra-Pyramidal Symptoms Scale (DIEPSS), and five cognitive performance tests (Word Fluency Test, Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Digit Span Distractibility Test). Levels of GSH in the posterior medial frontal cortex of schizophrenic patients were not different from those of normal controls. However, we found a significant negative correlation between GSH levels and the severity of negative symptoms (SANS total score and negative symptom subscore on BPRS) in patients. There were no correlations between brain GSH levels and scores on any cognitive performance test except Trail Making Test part A. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that GSH levels in the posterior medial frontal cortex may be related to negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients. Therefore, agents that increase GSH levels in the brain could be potential therapeutic drugs for negative symptoms in schizophrenia

Development of a New RF Volume Coil - Patch Antenna Array

A new RF volume coil, patch antenna array (PAA), was developed for our 7T MR machine. It was an antenna array consisted of eight patch antennas, located cylindrically. It transmits/receives circularly polarized RF waves through a hybrid. One of the merits of PAA is wide inner space for subjects, provided by its thin antenna structure. Images of a mineral oil phantom showed better SNR than ones taken by our homemade TEM coil. This PAA volume coil will be used for monkey imaging.The NIRS International Symposium Present Status and Future Trends of Ultra-high Magnetic Field MR

Development of a volume coil (PAAC) for 7T/400mm/SS System(NIRS/KOBELCO/Bruker)

We developed a new RF volume coil, PAAC(Path Antenna Array Coil), for monkey imaging by our 7T MR System. We will report its structure and electrical characteristics.PAAC is configured by several Patch Antennasof it plate like radiation device and ground board (a screen), and radiation device is covered by ground board. Each antenna was put pm the parallel to the axis of the circular cylinder.This coil was designed to an antenna either for transmission and reception, experimentally. In transmission mode, the coil elements circularly polarized.We assumed the coil inside diameter 150mm, it hold enough space to monkey\u27s head.As for Q, a very high value was obtained more than 450 at no loading at 300.3MHz. Loaded by salt water, the Q value was 270.About 4 times signal-to-noise ratio signal was obtained with olive oil phantom in this 7Tesla system, compared to the 1.5Tesla MR system.There are folling characteristics to this coil.(1)Because the outside of ground board does not havemost electricfield, it is easy to post a circuit attached to things such as an adjustment circuit and a blocking circuit in the inside of a coil.(2)We can choose feeding point at any place other than an element end and can coordinate feeding point impedance hereby. We make use of such a good point and want to review more characteristic improvement.The 6th Japan-France Workshop on Radiobiology and Isotopic imagin

Development of a dielectric equivalent gel for better impedance matching

11th Scientific Meeting and Exibitio

Brain N-aetylaspartate is elevated in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease with PLP1 duplication

Obfective:To assess alterations in brain metabolites of patients with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) with the proteolipid protein gene 1 (PLP1) duplications using quantitative proton MRS. Methods:Five unrelated male Japanese patients with PMD with PLP1 duplications were analyzed using automated proton brain examination with the point resolved spectroscopy technique (repetition and echo time of 5,000 and 30 msec). Localized spectra in the posterior portion of the centrum semiovale were acquired, and absolute metabolite concentrations were calculated using the LCModel. Results:Absolute concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA),creatine (Cr),and myoinositol(MI) were increased by 16%(p<0.01),and 43%(p<0.001),and 31%(p<0.01)in patients with PMD as compared with age-matched controls,There was no statistical difference in choline concentration. Conclusion:The increased concentration of NAA,which could not be detected by previous relative quantitation methods, suggests two possibilities: axonal involvement secondary to dysmyelination, or increased cell population of oligoddendrocyte progenitors. Elevated Cr and MI concentrations may reflect the reactive astrocytic gliosis. Our study thus emphasizes the importance of absolute quantitation of metabolites to investigate the disease mechanism of the dysmyelinating disorders of the CNS

In vivo observation of 5FU dynamics by chemical shift imaging - Comparison of fast imaging sequences -

Introduction: Chemical shift imaging under minimal relaxation weight should be a robust method for in vivo dynamical study of drugs and labeled compounds. Fast imaging sequences are compared at 7T with 5FU administrated mice.The 8th International Conference on Magnetic Resonance Microscop