Objective To study the features of treatment on neurochemical metabolites in prefrontal lobe and thalamus by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in first-episode drug-naive patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS).Methods Forty-two EOS (study group) met with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-Ⅳ) were recruited.Prefrontal lobe and thalamus were evaluated by multi-voxel 1H-MRS before and 4-week after treatment with a single atypical antipsychotic.The levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA),creatine compounds (Cr) and choline-containing compounds (Cho) were measured.The patients also received Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).Forty normal controls (normal control group) underwent the same 1H-MRS detection.Results Before treatment,the NAA/Cr ratios in left prefrontal lobe,right prefrontal lobe and lefi thalamus in study group were lower than those in normal control group (1.45 ± 0.26 vs 1.60 ± 0.34,t =2.251,P =0.027;1.43 ±0.26 vs 1.60 ±0.35,t =2.505,P=0.014;1.48 ±0.27 vs 1.65 ±0.35,t =2.470,P =0.016).After 4-week treatment,the NAA/Cr ratios in both left prefrontal lobe and left thalamus of study group were significantly increased compared with those before treatment (1.58 ± 0.30 vs 1.45 ± 0.26,t =2.122,P =0.037;1.62 ± 0.32 vs 1.48 ± 0.27,t =2.167,P =0.033).After 4-week treatment in study group,the total score,positive symptom score,negative symptom score and general pathologic score of PANSS,and the total score of Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were significantly lower compared with those before treatment (59.1 ± 10.2 vs 82.0 ± 13.2,t =8.896,P=0.000;15.3 ±5.1 vs 22.9 ±7.1,t =5.634,P =0.000;16.4 ±5.2 vs 21.1 ±7.8,t =3.249,P =0.002;27.4 ±7.6 vs 38.1 ± 8.8,t =5.963,P =0.000;3.6 ± 0.4 vs 4.4 ± 0.5,t =8.097,P =0.000).There was no correlation between the changes of neurochemical metabolite levels such as NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr both in prefrontal lobe and left thalamus,and the clinical symptoms changes,such as total score and every score of PANSS,the total score of CGI in study group after treatment (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The ratios of NAA/Cr are decreased not only in bilateral prefrontal lobe,but also in left thalamus,and the ratios may increase both in left prefrontal lobe and left thalamus after 4 weeks' treatment with atypical antipsychotics in EOS.The treatment outcomes of NAA/Cr do not agree with the improvement of the clinical symptoms.

Objective To evaluate the effects of 6-week atypical antipsychotics treatment on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)level,and the correlation between BDNF level and clinical efficiency in first-episode antipsychotic-na?ve schizophrenia.Methods We recruited 39 hospitalized patients with first-episode antipsychotic-na?ve schizophrenia that met with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—4th Edition (DSM-IV).Both Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)and the level of serum BDNF were measured before and after 6 weeks’treatment with atypical antipsychotics.We also studied 30 healthy controls.Serum BDNF was assayed at baseline.Results Pre-treatment BDNF level was significantly lower in the schizophrenic patients than in the controls [(6.82±2.1 5 )μg/L vs .(1 1.6 ± 3.32 )μg/L,t = 7.239,P < 0.001 ].Although BDNF level increased with treatment (t =2.349,P =0.021)in the schizophrenics,post-treatment BDNF level was still lower than in the normal controls (t =4.634,P <0.001).After 6 weeks’treatment for schizophrenia,the total score of PANSS,the scores of positive and negative symptoms,and the score of general psychopathology scale were all decreased (t =6.1 64,P < 0.001;t = 4.520,P < 0.001;t = 4.132,P < 0.001;t = 5.142,P < 0.001 ).Pre-treatment BDNF levels were directly correlated not only with the rate of decreased PANSS total score (r =0.348, P <0.05),but also with the rate of decreased negative symptoms score (r = 0.35 1,P < 0.05 ).However,pre-treatment BDNF levels were not correlated with improved positive symptoms,general psychopathology (r =0.204, 0.186,P >0.05),or duration of illness (r = - 0.058,P > 0.05 ).Changes in BDNF levels with treatment were correlated with the duration of illness (r =-0.345,P <0.05),but not with psychiatric improvement (r =0.036-0.1 74,P >0.05).Conclusion BDNF level is significantly lower in patients with first-episode antipsychotic-na?ve schizophrenia than in normal controls.It could be improved by using antipsychotics.Higher pre-treatment BDNF level may predict better response to antipsychotics.

Objective To evaluate the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in patients with schizophrenia.Methods Eighty hospitalized schizophrenics with refractory negative symptoms,admitted to our hospital from September 2012 to October 2013 and met the diagnostic and statistical manual of Mental Disorders-4th Edition (DSM-Ⅳ),were randomly divided into study group (n=40) and sham-operated group (n=40).The rTMS of 10 Hz on left prefrontal lobe was performed in study group and sham stimulation was used in sham-operated group; and the kinds and dosages of antipsychotics were preserved as before; other 40 healthy subjects were used as control group.Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was performed and serum BDNF level was measured before and 4 weeks after treatment in all patients.Results BDNF level in both study group and sham-operated group before and after treatment was significantly lower than that in the control group (P＜0.05).The total PANSS scores and negative symptom scale scores in the study group after treatment were significantly decreased as compared with those before treatment (71.2±13.8 vs.63.3±11.4,t=2.721,P=0.008; 18.4±5.9 vs.22.8±6.6,t=3.064,P=0.003),and the BDNF level was statistically increased (8.74±2.76 vs.6.78±2.16,t=3.447,P=0.001).After treatment,the study group had significantly lower negative symptom scale scores and higher BDNF concentration than sham-operated group (t=2.470,P=0.016; t=3.180,P=0.002).For total PANSS scores,negative symptom scale scores and general psychopathology scale scores,the changed values before and after treatment of study group were all significantly higher than those in the sham-operated group (7.8±3.5 vs.2.0±0.9,t=9.893,P=0.000; 4.4±1.9 vs.0.5±0.2,t=12.584,P=0.000; 2.8±1.0 vs.0.9±0.4,t=10.875,P=0.000).For the study group,the changes of BDNF concentration showed no obvious correlation with the total PANSS scores or negative symptom scale scores (r=-0.156-0.247,P＞0.05).Conclusions The rTMS of 10 Hz on the left prefrontal lobe can increase the serum BDNF concentration of the schizophrenia.There is no correlation between the changes of BDNF concentration and improved negative symptoms.