| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TSUNODA Masahiko TOYAMA MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, INSTRUCTOR, 医学部, 助手 (30322762)
KAWASAKI Yasuhiro TOYAMA MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, 附属病院, 講師 (80242519)
SUZUKI Michio TOYAMA MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, 医学部, 助教授 (40236013)
MATSUI Mie TOYAMA MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, 医学部, 助教授 (70209485)
HAGINO Hirofumi TOYAMA MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, INSTRUCTOR, 医学部, 助手 (10272915)
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| Research Abstract |
a.Brain imaging and neuropsychological studies in patients with schizophrenia
Voxe-based morphometric comparisons of brain gray matter between patients with schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder revealed that schizotypal disorder patients had less gray matter in the left inferior frontal, insula, superior temporal, and medial temporal regions. Schizophrenia patients showed gray matter reductions in the bilateral medial frontal, inferior frontal, medial temporal, and septal regions, and the left middle frontal, orbitofrontal, insula, and superior temporal regions, and an increased gray matter in the left basal ganglia. These results suggested the temporo-frontal two-step hypothesis for the development of schizophrenia : the temporal lobe changes may constitute vulnerability to schizophrenia and additional changes in the frontal lobes may elicit psychotic symptoms. Consistent findings with this hypothesis were obtained from volumetric regions of interest analyses in the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, anterior internal capsule, and frontal lobes. Neuropsychological profiles were also compared between patients with schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder. Verbal memory deficits were observed in both patients groups, but attentional and executive functions were more impaired in patients with schizophrenia. These results also support the temporo-frontal two-step hypothesis.
b.Animal models
Subchronic treatment with phencyclidine(PGP) or MK-801 impaired social interactions in rats. Subchronic PCP administration significantly reduced the density of V1a receptor binding sites, labelled by an [125I]-Linear AVP antagonist, in several brain regions including the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, lateral septum, and lateral hypothalamus. These results suggest that NMDA antagonists have modulatory effects on the central vasopressinergic system and social interaction. Implication of these findings in schizophrenia was considered.
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