Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with extensive neurocognitive and behavioral impairments. Studies indicate that N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a marker of neuronal integrity, and choline, a marker of cell membrane turnover and white matter integrity, may be altered in schizophrenia. Davunetide is a neurotrophic peptide that can enhance cognitive function in animal models of neurodegeneration. Davunetide has recently demonstrated modest functional improvement in a study of people with schizophrenia. In a subset of these subjects, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) was conducted to explore the effects of davunetide on change in NAA/creatine (NAA/Cr) and choline/creatine (choline/Cr) over 12 weeks of treatment. Of 63 outpatients with schizophrenia who received randomized davunetide (5 and 30 mg/day) or placebo in the parent clinical trial, 18 successfully completed 1 H-MRS in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) at baseline and at 12 weeks. Cognition was assessed using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). NAA/Cr was unchanged for combined high-and low-dose davunetide groups (N=11). NAA/Cr in the high-dose davunetide group (N=8) suggested a trend increase of 8.0% (P=0.072) over placebo (N=7). Choline/Cr for combined high-and low-dose davunetide groups suggested a 6.4% increase (P=0.069), while the high-dose group showed a 7.9% increase (P=0.040) over placebo. Baseline NAA/Cr correlated with the composite MCCB score (R=0.52, P=0.033), as did individual cognitive domains of attention/vigilance, verbal learning, and social cognition; however, neither metabolite correlated with functional capacity. In this exploratory study, 12 weeks of adjunctive davunetide appeared to produce modest increases in NAA/Cr and choline/Cr in DLPFC in people with schizophrenia. This is consistent with a potential neuroprotective mechanism for davunetide. The data also support use of MRS as a useful biomarker of baseline cognitive function in schizophrenia. Future clinical and preclinical studies are needed to fully define the mechanism of action and cognitive effects of davunetide in schizophrenia.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1245-1252 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Neuropsychopharmacology |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2013 |
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Keywords
- MRS
- cognition
- neuroprotective
- neurotrophic
- proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Effects of davunetide on N-acetylaspartate and choline in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with schizophrenia. / Jarskog, L. Fredrik; Dong, Zhengchao; Kangarlu, Alayar; Colibazzi, Tiziano; Girgis, Ragy R.; Kegeles, Lawrence S.; Barch, Deanna M.; Buchanan, Robert W.; Csernansky, John G.; Goff, Donald C.; Harms, Michael P.; Javitt, Daniel C.; Keefe, Richard Se; McEvoy, Joseph Patrick; McMahon, Robert P.; Marder, Stephen R.; Peterson, Bradley S.; Lieberman, Jeffrey A.
In: Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol. 38, No. 7, 01.06.2013, p. 1245-1252.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of davunetide on N-acetylaspartate and choline in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with schizophrenia
AU - Jarskog, L. Fredrik
AU - Dong, Zhengchao
AU - Kangarlu, Alayar
AU - Colibazzi, Tiziano
AU - Girgis, Ragy R.
AU - Kegeles, Lawrence S.
AU - Barch, Deanna M.
AU - Buchanan, Robert W.
AU - Csernansky, John G.
AU - Goff, Donald C.
AU - Harms, Michael P.
AU - Javitt, Daniel C.
AU - Keefe, Richard Se
AU - McEvoy, Joseph Patrick
AU - McMahon, Robert P.
AU - Marder, Stephen R.
AU - Peterson, Bradley S.
AU - Lieberman, Jeffrey A.
PY - 2013/6/1
Y1 - 2013/6/1
N2 - Schizophrenia is associated with extensive neurocognitive and behavioral impairments. Studies indicate that N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a marker of neuronal integrity, and choline, a marker of cell membrane turnover and white matter integrity, may be altered in schizophrenia. Davunetide is a neurotrophic peptide that can enhance cognitive function in animal models of neurodegeneration. Davunetide has recently demonstrated modest functional improvement in a study of people with schizophrenia. In a subset of these subjects, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) was conducted to explore the effects of davunetide on change in NAA/creatine (NAA/Cr) and choline/creatine (choline/Cr) over 12 weeks of treatment. Of 63 outpatients with schizophrenia who received randomized davunetide (5 and 30 mg/day) or placebo in the parent clinical trial, 18 successfully completed 1 H-MRS in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) at baseline and at 12 weeks. Cognition was assessed using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). NAA/Cr was unchanged for combined high-and low-dose davunetide groups (N=11). NAA/Cr in the high-dose davunetide group (N=8) suggested a trend increase of 8.0% (P=0.072) over placebo (N=7). Choline/Cr for combined high-and low-dose davunetide groups suggested a 6.4% increase (P=0.069), while the high-dose group showed a 7.9% increase (P=0.040) over placebo. Baseline NAA/Cr correlated with the composite MCCB score (R=0.52, P=0.033), as did individual cognitive domains of attention/vigilance, verbal learning, and social cognition; however, neither metabolite correlated with functional capacity. In this exploratory study, 12 weeks of adjunctive davunetide appeared to produce modest increases in NAA/Cr and choline/Cr in DLPFC in people with schizophrenia. This is consistent with a potential neuroprotective mechanism for davunetide. The data also support use of MRS as a useful biomarker of baseline cognitive function in schizophrenia. Future clinical and preclinical studies are needed to fully define the mechanism of action and cognitive effects of davunetide in schizophrenia.
AB - Schizophrenia is associated with extensive neurocognitive and behavioral impairments. Studies indicate that N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a marker of neuronal integrity, and choline, a marker of cell membrane turnover and white matter integrity, may be altered in schizophrenia. Davunetide is a neurotrophic peptide that can enhance cognitive function in animal models of neurodegeneration. Davunetide has recently demonstrated modest functional improvement in a study of people with schizophrenia. In a subset of these subjects, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) was conducted to explore the effects of davunetide on change in NAA/creatine (NAA/Cr) and choline/creatine (choline/Cr) over 12 weeks of treatment. Of 63 outpatients with schizophrenia who received randomized davunetide (5 and 30 mg/day) or placebo in the parent clinical trial, 18 successfully completed 1 H-MRS in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) at baseline and at 12 weeks. Cognition was assessed using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). NAA/Cr was unchanged for combined high-and low-dose davunetide groups (N=11). NAA/Cr in the high-dose davunetide group (N=8) suggested a trend increase of 8.0% (P=0.072) over placebo (N=7). Choline/Cr for combined high-and low-dose davunetide groups suggested a 6.4% increase (P=0.069), while the high-dose group showed a 7.9% increase (P=0.040) over placebo. Baseline NAA/Cr correlated with the composite MCCB score (R=0.52, P=0.033), as did individual cognitive domains of attention/vigilance, verbal learning, and social cognition; however, neither metabolite correlated with functional capacity. In this exploratory study, 12 weeks of adjunctive davunetide appeared to produce modest increases in NAA/Cr and choline/Cr in DLPFC in people with schizophrenia. This is consistent with a potential neuroprotective mechanism for davunetide. The data also support use of MRS as a useful biomarker of baseline cognitive function in schizophrenia. Future clinical and preclinical studies are needed to fully define the mechanism of action and cognitive effects of davunetide in schizophrenia.
KW - MRS
KW - cognition
KW - neuroprotective
KW - neurotrophic
KW - proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84878556531&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84878556531&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/npp.2013.23
DO - 10.1038/npp.2013.23
M3 - Article
C2 - 23325325
AN - SCOPUS:84878556531
VL - 38
SP - 1245
EP - 1252
JO - Neuropsychopharmacology
JF - Neuropsychopharmacology
SN - 0893-133X
IS - 7
ER -