Psychiatry research
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Psychiatry research · Nov 2010
Reduced medial prefrontal N-acetyl-aspartate levels in pediatric major depressive disorder: a multi-voxel in vivo(1)H spectroscopy study.
There is increasing evidence of a reciprocal fronto-limbic network in the pathogenesis of mood disorders. Prior in vivo proton ((1)H) spectroscopy studies provide evidence of abnormal neurochemical levels in the cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of adult subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD). We examined whether similar abnormalities occur in children and adolescents with MDD. ⋯ MDD subjects also had significantly lower levels of GPC+PC in the right AC than control subjects. There were no significant differences in other metabolites in the studied regions. Pediatric patients with MDD exhibit neurochemical alterations in prefrontal cortex regions that are important in the monitoring and regulation of emotional states.