OBJECTIVE

To identify the differences or comparability of parameters of cerebral hemodynamics between patients with schizophrenia with or without concomitant metabolic syndrome (MS).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 94 patients with schizophrenia (48 men and 46 women). A control group consisted of 40 mentally and somatically healthy individuals (17 men and 23 women) comparable in sex and age to the main group of patients. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was carried out according to the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Assessment of cerebral hemodynamics was carried out by 4 — channel rheoencephalography (REG) at rest with closed eyes. Data analysis was carried out using the Kraskel-Wallis ANOVA criterion with the procedure of automatic a posteriori pairwise comparison, the χ² criterion and Spearman correlation analysis.

RESULTS

According to the IDF criteria, 37 (39.4%) patients were diagnosed with MS. REG results revealed significantly (p<0.05) lower indicators of blood filling in the carotid basin, elasticity of the wall of the main arteries, the tone of small-caliber arteries and arterioles, as well as higher values of the tone of medium-caliber arteries in the carotid and vertebrobasilar basins, in both groups of patients with schizophrenia compared with the control group. In patients with schizophrenia with MS, compared with patients without MS, there were lower indicators of blood filling (p=0.044 and p=0.016) and elasticity of the wall of the main arteries (p=0.044 and p=0.028) in the carotid basin on the left and right sides.

CONCLUSION

The presence of MS in patients with schizophrenia was accompanied by more pronounced disorders of cerebral blood flow in the form of a decrease in blood filling and elasticity of the wall of the main arteries in the carotid basin. The results indicate that patients with schizophrenia with MS should be considered as a group at increased risk of cerebrovascular diseases.