abstract
- Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) studies of medicated patients with schizophrenia suggest high choline levels in the caudate nucleus. However, assessments of antipsychotic-naive patients are needed.The authors studied 11 antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia patients and 11 normal comparison subjects with single-voxel (1)H-MRS of the left caudate nucleus. Concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, choline, and creatine were determined and corrected for the proportion of cerebrospinal fluid in the voxel.The patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher levels of choline than the comparison subjects, while the other two metabolites did not differ between groups.High caudate choline levels in schizophrenia are not secondary to antipsychotic treatment.