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- Title
Cerebrospinal Anandamide Levels are Elevated in Acute Schizophrenia and are Inversely Correlated with Psychotic Symptoms.
- Authors
Giuffruda, Andrea; Leweke, F Markus; Gerth, Chrustoph W; Schreiber, Danuela; Koethe, Dagmar; Faulhaber, Johannes; Klosterkötter, Joachim; Piomelli, Daniele
- Abstract
The endocannabinoids are a family of bioactive lipids that activate CB1 cannabinoid receptors H the brain and exert intense emotional and cognitive effects. Here, we have examined the role of endocannabinoid signaling in psychotic states by measuring levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of acute paranoid-type schizophrenic patients. We found that CSF anandamide levels are eight-fold higher in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode paranoid schizophrenics (n = 47) than healthy controls (n = 84), dementia patients (n = 1 3) or affective disorder patients (n = 22). Such an alteration is absent in schizophrenics treated with `typical' antipsychotics (n = 37), which antagonize dopamine D2-like receptors, but not in those treated with `atypical' antipsychotics fri = 34), which preferentially antagonize 5HT2A receptors. Furthermore, we found that, in nonmedicated acute schizophrenics, CSF anandamide is negatively correlated with psychotic symptoms (rs = -0.452, P = 0.001). The results suggest that anandamide elevation in acute paranoid schizophrenia may reflect a compensatory adaptation to the disease state.
- Publication
Neuropsychopharmacology, 2004, Vol 29, Issue 11, p2108
- ISSN
0893-133X
- Publication type
Academic Journal
- DOI
10.1038/sj.npp.1300558