Bridget King
Transcript:
My name is Bridget King, and I will have a poster at SIRS 2025 which is presenting a mega-analysis looking at neurometabolite levels in antipsychotic responsive versus non-responsive psychosis. It is estimated that up to 30% of patients with schizophrenia will not respond to antipsychotic medication. Research using a brain imaging method called magnetic resonance spectroscopy or MRS has linked elevations in glutamate in the medial frontal cortex to non-response to antipsychotics. However, not all studies in this field have found elevations in glutamate in antipsychotic non-responders, and some studies have linked additional neurometabolites in this process, such as choline and myo-inositol. Patients with schizophrenia that don't respond to their antipsychotic medication have a higher illness burden because they have persistent symptoms of the disorder. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms as to why some individuals with schizophrenia don't respond to antipsychotics could help pave the way to develop new and more effective treatments for schizophrenia. For example, if non-response to psychosis is associated with elevations in glutamate, these individuals may benefit from glutamatergic acting therapeutics.
My poster at SIRS 2025 presents a large-scale collaborative mega-analysis, which combines MRS data from 19 studies and over 1,000 participants from around the globe. This research aims to answer critical questions in the field, such as whether elevations in neurometabolites such as glutamate are linked to non-response in schizophrenia. If you would like to find out more about this research and our findings, please come along and visit my SIRS poster on April 1st at the Riverside Exhibit Hall West. It's poster number 102, and it's happening from 12 until 2 p.m.
