Yoko Sato

Classification of First-Episode Schizophrenia Patients and Healthy Subjects by Automated MRI Measures of Regional Brain Volume and Cortical Thickness

Background Although structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have repeatedly demonstrated regional brain structural abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia, relatively few MRI-based studies have attempted to distinguish between patients with first-episode schizophrenia and healthy controls. Method Three-dimensional MR images were acquired from 52 (29 males, 23 females) first-episode schizophrenia patients and 40 (22 males, 18 females) healthy subjects. Multiple brain measures (regional brain volume and cortical thickness) were calculated by a fully automated procedure and were used for group comparison and classification by linear discriminant function analysis. Results Schizophrenia patients showed gray matter volume reductions and cortical thinning in various brain regions predominantly in prefrontal and temporal cortices compared with controls. The classifiers obtained from 66 subjects of the first group successfully assigned 26 subjects of the second group with accuracy above 80%. Conclusion Our results showed that combinations of automated brain measures successfully differentiated first-episode schizophrenia patients from healthy controls. Such neuroimaging approaches may provide objective biological information adjunct to clinical diagnosis of early schizophrenia.

Volume reduction and altered sulco-gyral pattern of the orbitofrontal cortex in first-episode schizophrenia

BACKGROUNDnAlthough clinical and neuropsychological findings have implicated functional deficits of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in schizophrenia, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of this region have yielded inconsistent findings. In addition, it remains elusive whether the OFC morphology in first-episode patients is related to their clinical features.nnnMETHODnMR images were acquired from 42 (24 males, 18 females) first-episode schizophrenia patients and 35 (20 males, 15 females) age-, gender-, and parental socio-economic status (SES)-matched healthy subjects. The OFC sub-regions (orbital gyrus and straight gyrus) were measured on contiguous 1-mm-thick coronal slices. The OFC sulco-gyral pattern was also evaluated for each subject. Furthermore, the relationships between OFC morphology and clinical measures were examined.nnnRESULTSnThe volumes of the bilateral orbital gyri were significantly reduced in schizophrenia patients compared with healthy subjects, whereas the volumes of the straight gyri did not show differences between the groups. Among the schizophrenia patients, the volume of the left orbital gyrus was inversely correlated with their SES and illness duration. The OFC sulco-gyral patterns were significantly different between the patients and controls in the right hemisphere.nnnCONCLUSIONnThis study demonstrated morphologic abnormalities of the OFC in first-episode schizophrenia patients, which may have reflected neurodevelopmental aberrations and neurodegenerative changes during the first episode of the illness. Our findings also suggest that such brain structural changes are related to the social dysfunction observed in schizophrenia.

Differentiation of first-episode schizophrenia patients from healthy controls using ROI-based multiple structural brain variables

BACKGROUNDnBrain morphometric measures from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have not been used to discriminate between first-episode patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects.nnnMETHODSnMagnetic resonance images were acquired from 34 (17 males, 17 females) first-episode schizophrenia patients and 48 (24 males, 24 females) age- and parental socio-economic status-matched healthy subjects. Twenty-nine regions of interest (ROI) were measured on 1-mm-thick coronal slices from the prefrontal and central parts of the brain. Linear discriminant function analysis was conducted using standardized z scores of the volumes of each ROI.nnnRESULTSnDiscriminant function analysis with cross-validation procedures revealed that brain anatomical variables correctly classified 75.6% of male subjects and 82.9% of female subjects, respectively. The results of the volumetric comparisons of each ROI between patients and controls were generally consistent with those of the previous literature.nnnCONCLUSIONSnTo our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence of MRI-based successful classification between first-episode patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. The potential of these methods for early detection of schizophrenia should be further explored.

Evaluation of Methionine Content in a High-Fat and Choline-Deficient Diet on Body Weight Gain and the Development of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis in Mice.

Aim Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a globally recognized liver disease. A methionine- and choline-deficient diet is used to induce NASH in mice; however, this diet also causes severe body weight loss. To resolve this issue, we examined the effects of methionine content in a high-fat and choline-deficient (HFCD) diet on body weight and the development of NASH in mice. Methods C57BL/6J mice (male, 10 weeks of age) were fed an L-amino acid rodent (control) diet, high-fat (HF) diet, or HFCD diet containing various amounts of methionine (0.1–0.6% (w/w)) for 12 weeks. Plasma lipid levels, hepatic lipid content and inflammatory marker gene expression were measured, and a pathological analysis was conducted to evaluate NASH. Results The 0.1% methionine in HFCD diet suppressed body weight gain, which was lower than that with control diet. On the other hand, the 0.2% methionine in HFCD diet yielded similar body weight gains as the control diet, while more than 0.4% methionine showed the same body weight gains as the HF diet. Liver weights and hepatic lipid contents were the greatest with 0.1% methionine and decreased in a methionine dose-dependent manner. Pathological analysis, NAFLD activity scores and gene expression levels in the liver revealed that 0.1% and 0.2% methionine for 12 weeks induced NASH, whereas 0.4% and 0.6% methionine attenuated the induction of NASH by HFCD diet. However, the 0.2% methionine in HFCD diet did not induce insulin resistance, despite the body weight gain. Conclusions The 0.2% methionine in HFCD diet for 12 weeks was able to induce NASH without weight loss.

Factors Associated with Dietary Supplement Use among Preschool Children : Results from a Nationwide Survey in Japan

This study was performed to reveal factors associated with dietary supplement use among Japanese preschool children in a nationwide survey. A cross-sectional, Internet survey was conducted among 2,058 mothers aged 20-40 y old who had preschool children and were registrants of a Japanese social research company in February 2013. The questionnaires assessed dietary supplement use, lifestyle and eating habits in both children and their mothers, eating awareness among mothers and the mothers sources of health information. The study employed logistic regression analysis to evaluate the association between dietary supplement use and other variables. Dietary supplements were used by 8.0% of the children. Children who used supplements tended to be older in age, less likely to get up cheerfully every morning, more likely to skip breakfast, eat out more frequently, and have mothers who used supplements, than children who did not use supplements. Mothers level of education and household income were not associated with supplement use among their children. It is likely that mothers anxiety about their childrens health or unhealthy eating habits has a striking effect on supplement use among children. However, the actual dietary balance and daily rhythms of child supplement users were not irregular or unhealthy. It is necessary to give more accurate information on childrens dietary habits and health to address mothers anxiety.

The Prevalence of Dietary Supplement Use among College Students: A Nationwide Survey in Japan

To clarify the prevalence of dietary supplement use among college students, we conducted Internet-based nationwide questionnaire surveys with 157,595 Japanese college students aged between 18 to 24 years old who were registrants of Macromill Inc. (Tokyo, Japan). Among the 9066 respondents (response rate 5.8%), 16.8% were currently using dietary supplements. The prevalence of dietary supplement use did not differ significantly between males (17.1%) and females (16.7%). However, it increased according to their grade (13.1% to 20.5%), and it was higher in medical and pharmaceutical college students (22.0%) compared to others (16.7%). The main purpose of dietary supplement use was for the health benefits in both males and females. Other reasons were to build muscle in males, and as a beauty supplement and for weight loss in females. According to the purpose of dietary supplement use, the most commonly-used dietary supplements were vitamin/mineral supplements in both males and females, then protein and weight loss supplements in males and females, respectively. Although most students obtained information about dietary supplements via the Internet, they typically purchased the supplements from drug stores. Of the students surveyed, 7.5% who were currently using or used to use dietary supplements experienced adverse effects, with no significant difference between genders (8.8% in male, 7.0% in female). In conclusion, the prevalence of dietary supplement use increased with grade among college students in Japan. Some of them experienced adverse effects. Education may be important to prevent adverse effects resulting from supplement use in college.

Sources of Information about Health Foods among Elderly People—Comparison of Internet and Paper Survey Results—

The prevalence of health foods is increasing in Japan, especially among elderly people. The internet is widely used as an information source, but it is not clear whether elderly people get information about health foods via the internet or not. To clarify this issue, we conducted two questionnaire surveys; one on a website (internet survey) and one in the local community (paper survey). The internet survey showed that a lot of elderly people use the internet to get information and also to purchase health foods. On the other hand, paper survey showed that a smaller proportion of elderly people used the internet, compared to the internet survey. Instead, they got information from their friends, health-care professionals, or various media sources, such as television, newspapers and magazines. Our results indicate that many elderly people dont use the internet to get information about health foods. Adequate ways to inform them about health foods are needed to reduce adverse events associated with health food use.

A Systematic Review to Identify Unacceptable Intake Levels of Vitamin B6 among Patients Taking Levodopa

The interaction of levodopa and vitamin B6 is a well-known issue. This study investigated the incidence of unacceptable intake levels of vitamin B6 among levodopa users by means of a systematic review. We searched two databases (PubMed and Igaku Chuo Zasshi) for articles about adverse events due to the interaction of levodopa and vitamin B6 published up to August 2017. Of 98 citations retrieved, 11 studies met the selection criteria. The results indicated that a vitamin B6 intake level of more than 50 mg/day could reduce the efficacy of levodopa. The recommended intake of vitamin B6 for Japanese adults is 1.4 mg/day for men and 1.2 mg/day for women. Therefore, the acceptable intake of vitamin B6 for levodopa patients would be within the range of the recommended intake level, which is also within the usual range in foods in Japan, except for dietary supplements or health foods. Levodopa users should be cautious about taking dietary supplements and over-the-counter drugs.

The Prevalence of Dietary Supplement Use Among Elementary, Junior High, and High School Students: A Nationwide Survey in Japan

The prevalence of dietary supplement use, such as vitamins, minerals, or fish oil, has increased among children in Japan; however, whether children are using dietary supplements appropriately remains unclear. This study aimed to determine dietary supplement use among children. In August 2017, a nationwide internet preliminary survey of 265,629 mothers aged from 25 to 59 years old was undertaken. Of these, 19,041 mothers of children attending either elementary school, junior high school, or high school were selected. Among them, 16.4% were currently providing their children with dietary supplements and 5.2% had previously given dietary supplements to their children. The prevalence of dietary supplement use was higher in boys than in girls, and the prevalence increased according to their grade. A total of 2439 participants were eligible to undertake a targeted survey on dietary supplement use. Dietary supplements were being taken to maintain health, supplement nutrients, and enhance growth in both boys and girls, and many children (37.5%) were provided with vitamin and mineral supplements. Mothers mainly obtained information concerning dietary supplements via the internet, and supplements were purchased in drug stores or via the internet. The prevalence of dietary supplement use in mothers was 65.4% and may be associated with the prevalence rates in children. Some mothers reported adverse events (3.6%) in their children, such as stomachache, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and constipation. The cause-and-effect relationships for adverse events were not clear, but some children were given products for adults. Children are more influenced by dietary supplements compared to adults. To prevent adverse events due to inappropriate use, parental education concerning dietary supplements is essential.

Analysis of Safety Alerts Associated with Dietary Supplements from Japan and Overseas

The prevalence of dietary supplement use has increased in Japan, and consumers can purchase supplements from foreign countries through the internet. Therefore, it is important to consider both domestic and overseas safety alerts to prevent adverse events associated with dietary supplement use. We have been collecting global safety alerts associated with dietary supplements and providing this information to the public via the Information system on safety and effectiveness for health foods (HFNet) website. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of safety alerts from 2010 to 2016 in HFNet (total: 2,124 alerts). The most common reason for alerts was illegal adulteration with pharmaceutical substances (85%), and sexual enhancement or weight loss products accounted for 68% of all alerts. Most alerts were based on market surveillance reports or recall information. However, 181 adverse event reports were identified, and most of them were related to weight loss or disease treatment in patients. In Japan, a majority of the adverse events was caused by products intended for weight loss or purchased online, and young female users were commonly involved. These findings should be helpful for prevention of adverse events associated with dietary supplement use.