Abnormal resting regional cerebral blood flow patterns and their correlates in schizophrenia
R. J. Mathew, W. H. Wilson, S. R. Tant, L. Robinson and R. Prakash
Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured under resting conditions in
108 right-handed schizophrenic inpatients and a matched group of normal
controls with the xenon 133 inhalation technique. Forty-six patients were
free of all medication for two weeks. There were no significant differences
in CBF to the two hemispheres. The patients showed a comparatively reduced
anteroposterior (AP) gradient for CBF. Though there were no differences in
frontal flow, the patients had higher flow to several postcentral brain
regions, bilaterally. Cerebral blood flow in the patients correlated
inversely with age and positively with carbon dioxide level. Women had
higher flow than men. Duration of the illness was the only significant
predictor of the reduced AP gradient in patients. Higher left temporal and
right parietal flow were found to be the best discriminators between
patients and controls. Mean hemispheric flow to both hemispheres and
several brain regions correlated with the total score and the item, unusual
thought content, of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. There were no
differences in regional CBF between medicated and unmedicated patients.
