Evaluaton of regional cerebral blood flow alterations by limbic activation in patients with schizophrenia

The aim of study is to evaluate the functions of limbic system in schizophrenia by performing procaine administration and using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). 22 patients and 19 controls were included in the study. Patients were evaluated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) and the controls were evaluated with BPRS, HAM-D and HAM-A. The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values were measured by SPECT. The rCBF following placebo and the alteration ratios of the rCBF following procaine of patients compared to controls. The rCBF following placebo in bilateral frontal, bilateral superior temporal, bilateral parahippocampus, thalamus, insula and alteration ratios of rCBF following procaine in bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left thalamus of patients were lower. Poor limbic activation to procaine was observed in the ACC and left thalamus of patients with schizophrenia. These findings support that the ACC and thalamus are crucial role in pathophysiology of schizophrenia.