MRI Scans Can Detect Chemical Imbalance in Brain

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to measure the higher levels of oxidative stress present in patients with schizophrenia, according to a new study.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS; Boston, MA, USA) and McLean Hospital (Belmont, MA, USA) used a novel magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique to identify oxidative stress in 21 patients with chronic schizophrenia by measuring the brain concentrations of two molecules, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen (NADH), that give a readout of how well the brain is able to buffer out excessive oxidants.

The researchers found a 53% elevation in NADH in the chronic schizophrenia patients, as compared to healthy individuals of similar age. A similar degree of NADH elevation was also seen in newly diagnosed schizophrenia, suggesting that oxidation imbalance is present even in the early stages of illness. Modest NADH increases were also seen in bipolar disorder, which shares some genetic and clinical overlap with schizophrenia. The study was presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting, held during December 2016 in Hollywood (FL, USA).

“Intensive energy demands on brain cells lead to accumulation of highly reactive oxygen species, such as free radicals and hydrogen peroxide. However, measuring this process in the living human brain has remained challenging,” said lead author Fei Du, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at HMS. “In addition to offering new insights into the biology of schizophrenia, this finding also provides a potential way to test the effectiveness of new interventions.”

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to comprehend reality. Common symptoms include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, hearing voices, reduced social engagement and emotional expression, and a lack of motivation. People with schizophrenia often have additional mental health problems such as anxiety disorders, major depressive illness, or substance use disorders. Schizophrenia does not imply a split or multiple personality disorder, conditions with which it is often confused in public perception.

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