31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the frontal lobe of major depressed patients.

Most research with 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) in affective disorders has been done in the field of bipolar disturbances. Reduced frontal and temporal lobe phosphomonoester (PME) concentrations were measured in the euthymic state, whereas increased values were found in the depressed state. In bipolar-II patients reduced phosphocreatine (PCr) concentrations were reported in the euthymic, depressed, and manic state.

High-energy phosphates in the frontal lobe correlate with Wisconsin Card Sort Test performance in controls, not in schizophrenics: a 31phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic and neuropsychological investigation.

In recent years, a number of 31phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (P-MRS) studies on the frontal lobe of schizophrenics have been performed, reporting alterations of phospholipids and high-energy phosphates. Deicken et al. (1994b) recently found positive correlations between left frontal phosphomonoester% (PME%) levels and the performance of a specific frontal lobe task, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), in schizophrenics.

31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics with a volume selective technique--preliminary findings.

Pettegrew et al (Arch Gen Psychiatry 48:563-568, 1991) were the first to determine abnormalities concerning phospholipids and high energy metabolites in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of drug-naive schizophrenics with 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Other investigations could not replicate these findings. We included in our study 13 schizophrenic inpatients and 14 age-matched controls.

Effect of initial treatment with antidepressants as a predictor of outcome after 8 weeks.

Most findings of antidepressant treatment prediction have not been replicated, and this applies to biological predictors as well as sociodemographic and early course predictors. One exception might be early psychopathological improvement. To reevaluate this question, we examined the results of two large-scale controlled clinical trials comparing the selective and reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type A (MAO-A) brofaromine with the standard tricyclic compound imipramine.