The association between plasma betaine level and brain structural changes in schizophrenia
Abstract
Previous studies on metabolic profiling have shown decreased plasma levels of betaine in schizophrenia. Betaine serves as a substrate of betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase, which converts homocysteine to methionine. A decrease in betaine may lead to the elevation of homocysteine and an insufficient supply of methyl donors, which may affect DNA methylation. To explore how decreased betaine levels could affect brain structural changes often observed in schizophrenia, the present study investigated the relationships in 27 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 49 healthy comparison individuals. We found that the effects of betaine on brain volume are group-specific, and significant correlations between betaine and notable brain areas implicated in schizophrenia's pathophysiology including the superior temporal gyrus. These findings suggest that betaine levels may contribute to aberrant structural changes in schizophrenia.
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