Heritability Heightens Brain Metabolite Differences in Schizophrenia

Single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed in 64 medicated schizophrenic patients and 51 healthy subjects. Spectra were obtained from a voxel in the left medial temporal lobe by using a 2.0-tesla whole-body magnetic resonance imaging system. Schizophrenic patients showed a lower N-acetylaspartate/creatine-phosphocreatine ratio than did healthy subjects, and this reduction was greater in 13 patients with a family history of psychotic disorders.