Schizophrenia bulletin
-
Schizophrenia bulletin · Jan 2013
N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in patients with schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND : Imbalance of glutamatergic neurotransmission has been proposed as a key mechanism underlying symptoms of schizophrenia. The neuropetide N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) modulates glutamate release. NAAG provides a component of the proton magnetic resonance spectrum (1H-MRS) in humans. The signal of NAAG, however, largely overlaps with its precursor and degrading product N-acetylaspartate (NAA) that by itself does not act in glutamatergic neurotransmission. ⋯ In this study, we present the first in vivo evidence for altered NAAG concentration in patients with schizophrenia.