A prospective study investigating implications of bioactive lipids for diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia

这项研究将调查脂肪酸(脂)在精神分裂症中的作用。对精神分裂症患者血细胞和大脑的研究表明，精神分裂症患者的这些脂质和相关产物会发生变化。我们现在能够使用一种名为磁共振波谱的技术来测量活着的人脑中不同的脂类代谢物。直到最近，还只能将脂类代谢物作为一组进行评估，这限制了解释。多亏了脑成像研究所最新可用的成像系统和一种新的分析技术，我们将能够测量活着的人脑中的单一脂质代谢物。同时，我们还将测量负责调节这些脂质的红细胞中的脂质和相关酶。初步数据显示，这两个指标之间存在很强的相关性。此外，我们将研究负责产生这些酶的基因。通过在12周后重复相同的测试，我们希望了解新的抗精神病药物是如何发挥作用的。两个简单的临床测试(皮肤和呼气测试)将帮助我们将发现落实到日常临床实践中(高危患者的诊断标记物)。通过这种多层次的方法，我们希望对精神分裂症的起源有一个超越传统概念的新的理解。这些发现也可能对治疗有直接影响。初步结果非常有希望，但也相互矛盾。因此，仔细研究这些血脂在精神分裂症中的作用就更加重要。

This study will investigate the role of fatty acids (lipids) in schizophrenia. Studies in blood cells and in the brains of patients with schizophrenia have shown that these lipids and related products are altered in schizophrenia. We are now able to measure separate lipid metabolites in the living human brain using a technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Until recently it was only possible to assess lipid metabolites as a group, limiting interpretation. Thanks to a newly available imaging system at the Brain Imaging Research Institute and a new analysis technique, we will be able to measure single lipid metabolites in the living human brain. Simultaneously we will also measure lipids and related enzymes in red blood cells that are responsible for the regulation of these lipids. Preliminary data has shown that there is a strong correlation between these two measures. Furthermore we will investigate the genes that are responsible for the production of these enzymes. By repeating the same tests after 12 weeks we hope to understand how the newer antipsychotic drugs act. Two easy clinical tests (a skin and breath test) will help us to implement the findings in daily clinical practice (diagnostic markers for patients at risk) . With such a multi-level approach we hope to contribute to a new understanding of the origins of schizophrenia going beyond the traditional concepts. The findings might also have direct implications for treatment. Preliminary results are very promising but also contradictory. Therefore it is even more important to carefully investigate the role of these lipids in schizophrenia.