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Abstract #2257

Pharmacologically increased dopamine levels reduce GABA and glutamate concentrations in visual brain areas – a 1H MRS study at 3T

Ralf Mekle1, Katharina Schmack2, Jochen B. Fiebach1, and Heiner Stuke2

1Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations are frequently observed in schizophrenia. Converging evidence suggests a link to dompaminergic neurotransmission, although the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, dopamine levels were pharmacologically increased in healthy volunteers to investigate possible neurochemical alterations in the visual cortex measured by single volume 1H MRS using the MEGA-PRESS sequence at 3 T. Reduced GABA and decreased glutamate concentrations were found induced by increased dopamine levels. The former might contribute to the perceptual deficits seen in schizophrenia, while the latter supports the theory of glutamate hypofunction in schizophrenia.

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