Correlation between abnormal N-acetyl-aspartate levels in posterior cingulate cortex and persistent auditory verbal hallucinations in Chinese patients with chronic schizophrenia

Honghong Ren; Qianjin Wang; Chunwang Li; Jinguang Li; Lulin Dai; Min Dong; Jun Zhou; Jingqi He; Yanhui Liao; Ying He; Zongchang Li; Xiaogang Chen; Jinsong Tang

doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103416

Correlation between abnormal N-acetyl-aspartate levels in posterior cingulate cortex and persistent auditory verbal hallucinations in Chinese patients with chronic schizophrenia

Asian J Psychiatr. 2023 Feb:80:103416. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103416. Epub 2022 Dec 16.

Authors

Honghong Ren¹, Qianjin Wang², Chunwang Li³, Jinguang Li², Lulin Dai², Min Dong⁴, Jun Zhou², Jingqi He², Yanhui Liao⁵, Ying He², Zongchang Li⁶, Xiaogang Chen⁷, Jinsong Tang⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
² Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
³ Department of Radiology, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁴ Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. Electronic address: zongchangli@csu.edu.cn.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. Electronic address: chenxiaogang@csu.edu.cn.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run-Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address: tangjinsong@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 36577325
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103416

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between persistent auditory verbal hallucinations (pAVHs) and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) levels in posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). 117 schizophrenia (SCZ) patients (61 pAVHs and 56 non-AVHs) and 66 healthy controls were included. The P3 item of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Auditory Hallucinations subscale of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale were used to assess the severity of pAVHs. NAA levels were significantly lower in the AVHs group, and were negatively correlated with pAVHs. Therefore, increasing the NAA levels in PCC may be helpful in treating pAVHs.

Keywords: Auditory verbal hallucinations; Imaging; N-acetyl-aspartate; Posterior cingulate cortex; Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Schizophrenia.

MeSH terms

Aspartic Acid
East Asian People
Gyrus Cinguli / diagnostic imaging
Hallucinations / diagnosis
Hallucinations / etiology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Schizophrenia* / complications
Schizophrenia* / diagnosis

Substances

Aspartic Acid