1
|
Gudmundson AT, Koo A, Virovka A, Amirault AL, Soo M, Cho JH, Oeltzschner G, Edden RAE, Stark CEL. Meta-analysis and open-source database for in vivo brain Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy in health and disease. Anal Biochem 2023; 676:115227. [PMID: 37423487 PMCID: PMC10561665 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Proton (1H) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive tool capable of quantifying brain metabolite concentrations in vivo. Prioritization of standardization and accessibility in the field has led to the development of universal pulse sequences, methodological consensus recommendations, and the development of open-source analysis software packages. One on-going challenge is methodological validation with ground-truth data. As ground-truths are rarely available for in vivo measurements, data simulations have become an important tool. The diverse literature of metabolite measurements has made it challenging to define ranges to be used within simulations. Especially for the development of deep learning and machine learning algorithms, simulations must be able to produce accurate spectra capturing all the nuances of in vivo data. Therefore, we sought to determine the physiological ranges and relaxation rates of brain metabolites which can be used both in data simulations and as reference estimates. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we've identified relevant MRS research articles and created an open-source database containing methods, results, and other article information as a resource. Using this database, expectation values and ranges for metabolite concentrations and T2 relaxation times are established based upon a meta-analyses of healthy and diseased brains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T Gudmundson
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Annie Koo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Anna Virovka
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alyssa L Amirault
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Madelene Soo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jocelyn H Cho
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Georg Oeltzschner
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard A E Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Craig E L Stark
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gudmundson AT, Koo A, Virovka A, Amirault AL, Soo M, Cho JH, Oeltzschner G, Edden RA, Stark C. Meta-analysis and Open-source Database for In Vivo Brain Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Health and Disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.10.528046. [PMID: 37205343 PMCID: PMC10187197 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.10.528046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Proton ( 1 H) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive tool capable of quantifying brain metabolite concentrations in vivo . Prioritization of standardization and accessibility in the field has led to the development of universal pulse sequences, methodological consensus recommendations, and the development of open-source analysis software packages. One on-going challenge is methodological validation with ground-truth data. As ground-truths are rarely available for in vivo measurements, data simulations have become an important tool. The diverse literature of metabolite measurements has made it challenging to define ranges to be used within simulations. Especially for the development of deep learning and machine learning algorithms, simulations must be able to produce accurate spectra capturing all the nuances of in vivo data. Therefore, we sought to determine the physiological ranges and relaxation rates of brain metabolites which can be used both in data simulations and as reference estimates. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we've identified relevant MRS research articles and created an open-source database containing methods, results, and other article information as a resource. Using this database, expectation values and ranges for metabolite concentrations and T 2 relaxation times are established based upon a meta-analyses of healthy and diseased brains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T. Gudmundson
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
| | - Annie Koo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Anna Virovka
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Alyssa L. Amirault
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Madelene Soo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Jocelyn H. Cho
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | - Georg Oeltzschner
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
| | - Richard A.E. Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
| | - Craig Stark
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Xin JX, Wei DX, Ren Y, Wang JL, Yang G, Zhang H, Li J, Fu C, Yao YF. Distinguishing glutamate and glutamine in in vivo 1 H MRS based on nuclear spin singlet order filtering. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:1728-1740. [PMID: 36572961 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The signals of glutamate (Glu) and glutamine (Gln) are often significantly overlapped in routine 1 H-MR spectra of human brain in vivo. Selectively probing the signals of Glu and Gln in vivo is very important for the study of the metabolisms in which Glu and Gln are involved. METHODS The Glu-/Gln- targeted pulse sequences are developed to selectively probe the signals of Glu and Gln. The core part of the Glu-/Gln- targeted pulse sequences lies on the preparation of the nuclear spin singlet orders (SSOs) of the five-spin systems of Glu and Gln. The optimal control method is used to prepare the SSOs of Glu and Gln with high efficiency. RESULTS The Glu-/Gln- targeted pulse sequences have been applied on phantoms to selectively probe the signals of Glu and Gln. Moreover, in the in vivo experiments, the signals of Glu and Gln in human brains of healthy subjects have been successfully probed separately. CONCLUSION The developed Glu-/Gln- targeted pulse sequences can be used to distinguish the 1 H-MR signals of Glu and Gln in human brains in vivo. The optimal control method provides an effective way to prepare the SSO of a specific spin system with high efficiency and in turn selectively probe the signals of a targeted molecule.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xiang Xin
- Physics Department & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Da-Xiu Wei
- Physics Department & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Ren
- Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun-Long Wang
- Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guang Yang
- Physics Department & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huojun Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianqi Li
- Physics Department & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Caixia Fu
- Application Developments, Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Ye-Feng Yao
- Physics Department & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Johnston JN, Greenwald MS, Henter ID, Kraus C, Mkrtchian A, Clark NG, Park LT, Gold P, Zarate CA, Kadriu B. Inflammation, stress and depression: An exploration of ketamine's therapeutic profile. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103518. [PMID: 36758932 PMCID: PMC10050119 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Well-established animal models of depression have described a proximal relationship between stress and central nervous system (CNS) inflammation - a relationship mirrored in the peripheral inflammatory biomarkers of individuals with depression. Evidence also suggests that stress-induced proinflammatory states can contribute to the neurobiology of treatment-resistant depression. Interestingly, ketamine, a rapid-acting antidepressant, can partially exert its therapeutic effects via anti-inflammatory actions on the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, the kynurenine pathway or by cytokine suppression. Further investigations into the relationship between ketamine, inflammation and stress could provide insight into ketamine's unique therapeutic mechanisms and stimulate efforts to develop rapid-acting, anti-inflammatory-based antidepressants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jenessa N Johnston
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Maximillian S Greenwald
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ioline D Henter
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christoph Kraus
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anahit Mkrtchian
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Neil G Clark
- US School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lawrence T Park
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Philip Gold
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Carlos A Zarate
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bashkim Kadriu
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bonnekoh LM, Seidenbecher S, Knigge K, Hünecke AK, Metzger CD, Tempelmann C, Kanowski M, Kaufmann J, Meyer-Lotz G, Schlaaff K, Dobrowolny H, Tozzi L, Gescher DM, Steiner J, Kirschbaum C, Frodl T. Long-term cortisol stress response in depression and comorbid anxiety is linked with reduced N-acetylaspartate in the anterior cingulate cortex. World J Biol Psychiatry 2023; 24:34-45. [PMID: 35332851 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2022.2058084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Major Depression (MDD) and anxiety disorders are stress-related disorders that share pathophysiological mechanisms. There is evidence for alterations of glutamate-glutamine, N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and GABA in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a stress-sensitive region affected by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). The aim was to investigate metabolic alterations in the ACC and whether hair cortisol, current stress or early life adversity predict them. METHODS We investigated 22 patients with MDD and comorbid anxiety disorder and 23 healthy controls. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed with voxels placed in pregenual (pg) and dorsal (d) ACC in 3 T. Analysis of hair cortisol was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS The N-acetylaspartate/Creatin ratio (NAA/Cr) was reduced in patients in both pgACC (p = .040) and dACC (p = .016). A significant interactive effect of diagnosis and cortisol on both pg-NAA/Cr (F = 5.00, p = .033) and d-NAA/Cr (F = 7.86, p = .009) was detected, whereby in controls cortisol was positively correlated with d-NAA/Cr (r = 0.61, p = .004). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest a relationship between NAA metabolism in ACC and HPA axis activity as represented by long-term cortisol output.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda M Bonnekoh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Stephanie Seidenbecher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Knigge
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Anne-Kathrin Hünecke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Coraline D Metzger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Claus Tempelmann
- Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center of Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto von Guericke Universität Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Kanowski
- Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jörn Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gabriela Meyer-Lotz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Konstantin Schlaaff
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Dobrowolny
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Leonardo Tozzi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Dorothee M Gescher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Department of Psychology, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Frodl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center of Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto von Guericke Universität Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
He J, Wang D, Ban M, Kong L, Xiao Q, Yuan F, Zhu X. Regional metabolic heterogeneity in anterior cingulate cortex in major depressive disorder: A multi-voxel 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. J Affect Disord 2022; 318:263-271. [PMID: 36087788 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with altered neuro-metabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, the regional metabolic heterogeneity in the ACC in individuals with MDD remains unclear. METHODS We recruited 59 first-episode, treatment-naive young adults with MDD and 50 healthy controls who underwent multi-voxel 1H-MRS scanning at 3 T (Tesla) with voxels placed in the ACC, which was divided into two subregions, pregenual ACC (pACC) and anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC). Between and within-subjects metabolite concentration variations were analyzed with SPSS. RESULTS Compared with control subjects, patients with MDD exhibited higher glutamate (Glu) and glutamine (Gln) levels in the pACC and higher myo-inositol (MI) level in the aMCC. We observed higher Glu and Gln levels and lower N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) level in the pACC than those in the aMCC in both MDD and healthy control (HC) groups. More importantly, the metabolite concentration gradients of Glu, Gln and NAA were more pronounced in MDD patients relative to HCs. In the MDD group, the MI level in the aMCC positively correlated with the age of onset. LIMITATIONS The use of the relative concentration of metabolites constitutes a key study limitation. CONCLUSIONS We observed inconsistent alterations and distribution of neuro-metabolites concentration in the pACC and aMCC, revealing regional metabolic heterogeneity of ACC in first-episode, treatment-naive young individuals with MDD. These results provided new evidence for abnormal neuro-metabolites of ACC in the pathophysiology of MDD and suggested that pACC and aMCC might play different roles in MDD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jincheng He
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Dongcui Wang
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Meiting Ban
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lingyu Kong
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qian Xiao
- Mental Health Centre, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fulai Yuan
- Health Management Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xueling Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ritter C, Buchmann A, Müller ST, Volleberg M, Haynes M, Ghisleni C, Noeske R, Tuura R, Hasler G. Evaluation of Prefrontal γ-Aminobutyric Acid and Glutamate Levels in Individuals With Major Depressive Disorder Using Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. JAMA Psychiatry 2022; 79:1209-1216. [PMID: 36260322 PMCID: PMC9582968 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.3384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Importance Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent illnesses worldwide. Perturbations of the major inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu), respectively, as well as Glx (Glu or glutamine [Gln]) have been extensively reported in a multitude of brain areas of individuals with depression, but few studies have examined changes in Gln, the metabolic counterpart of synaptic Glu. Objective To investigate changes in GABA, Glx, Glu, and Gln levels in a voxel in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of participants with no, past, and current MDD using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Design, Setting, and Participants This community-based study used a cross-sectional design using 3-T 1H-MRS in participants not taking MDD medication recruited from the community. The sample consisted of 251 healthy controls, 98 participants with a history of past MDD, and 47 participants who met the diagnostic criteria for current MDD. Diagnostic groups were comparable regarding age, education, income, and diet. Data were collected from March 2014 to October 2021, and data were analyzed from October 2021 to June 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures GABA, Glx, Glu, and Gln concentrations in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Results Of 396 included participants, 258 (65.2%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 25.0 (4.7) years. Compared with healthy controls, those with past MDD and current MDD had lower GABA concentrations (mean [SEM] concentration: healthy controls, 2.70 [0.03] mmol/L; past MDD, 2.49 [0.05] mmol/L; current MDD, 2.54 [0.07] mmol/L; 92 with past MDD vs 236 healthy controls: r = 0.18; P = .002; 44 with current MDD vs 236 healthy controls: r = 0.13; P = .04). Compared with healthy controls, those with past MDD also had lower Glu concentrations (mean [SEM] concentration: healthy controls, 7.52 [0.06] mmol/L; past MDD, 7.23 [0.11] mmol/L; 93 with past MDD vs 234 healthy controls: r = 0.16; P = .01) and higher Gln concentrations (mean [SEM] concentration: healthy controls, 1.63 [0.04] mmol/L; past MDD, 1.84 [0.07] mmol/L; 66 with past MDD 153 healthy controls: r = 0.17; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance In a large, mostly medication-free community sample, reduced prefrontal GABA concentrations were associated with past MDD, consistent with histopathologic studies reporting reduced glial cell and GABA cell density in the prefrontal cortex in individuals with depression. Patients with MDD also demonstrated increased Gln levels, indicative of increased synaptic Glu release, adding to previous evidence for the Glu hypothesis of MDD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Ritter
- Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Unit of Psychiatry Research, University of Fribourg, Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland
- Center of MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Buchmann
- Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Unit of Psychiatry Research, University of Fribourg, Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland
- Center of MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Martin Volleberg
- Division of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Haynes
- Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Ghisleni
- Center of MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Ruth Tuura
- Center of MR Research, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gregor Hasler
- Unit of Psychiatry Research, University of Fribourg, Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Does the change in glutamate to GABA ratio correlate with change in depression severity? A randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3833-3841. [PMID: 35982258 PMCID: PMC9712215 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01730-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies suggest a perturbation in glutamate and/or GABA in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). However, no studies examine the ratio of glutamate and glutamine (Glx) to GABA (Glx/GABA) as it relates to depressive symptoms, which may be more sensitive than either single metabolite. Using a within-subject design, we hypothesized that reduction in depressive symptoms correlates with reduction in Glx/GABA in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The present trial is a randomized clinical trial that utilized 1H-MRS to examine Glx/GABA before and after 8 weeks of escitalopram or placebo. Participants completed the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS17) and underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after treatment. Two GABA-edited MEGA-PRESS acquisitions were interleaved with a water unsuppressed reference scan. GABA and Glx were quantified from the average difference spectrum, with preprocessing using Gannet and spectral fitting using TARQUIN. Linear mixed models were utilized to evaluate relationships between change in HDRS17 and change in Glx/GABA using a univariate linear regression model, multiple linear regression incorporating treatment type as a covariate, and Bayes Factor (BF) hypothesis testing to examine strength of evidence. No significant relationship was detected between percent change in Glx, GABA, or Glx/GABA and percent change in HDRS17, regardless of treatment type. Further, MDD severity before/after treatment did not correlate with ACC Glx/GABA. In light of variable findings in the literature and lack of association in our investigation, future directions should include evaluating glutamate and glutamine individually to shed light on the underpinnings of MDD severity. Advancing Personalized Antidepressant Treatment Using PET/MRI, ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02623205.
Collapse
|
9
|
Weigand A, Gärtner M, Scheidegger M, Wyss PO, Henning A, Seifritz E, Stippl A, Herrera-Melendez A, Bajbouj M, Aust S, Grimm S. Predicting Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine: the Role of the Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex as a Multimodal Neuroimaging Biomarker. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 25:1003-1013. [PMID: 35948274 PMCID: PMC9743970 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growing evidence underscores the utility of ketamine as an effective and rapid-acting treatment option for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, clinical outcomes vary between patients. Predicting successful response may enable personalized treatment decisions and increase clinical efficacy. METHODS We here explored the potential of pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) activity to predict antidepressant effects of ketamine in relation to ketamine-induced changes in glutamatergic metabolism. Prior to a single i.v. infusion of ketamine, 24 patients with MDD underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during an emotional picture-viewing task and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Changes in depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory measured 24 hours pre- and post-intervention. A subsample of 17 patients underwent a follow-up magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan. RESULTS Antidepressant efficacy of ketamine was predicted by pgACC activity during emotional stimulation. In addition, pgACC activity was associated with glutamate increase 24 hours after the ketamine infusion, which was in turn related to better clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS Our results add to the growing literature implicating a key role of the pgACC in mediating antidepressant effects and highlighting its potential as a multimodal neuroimaging biomarker of early treatment response to ketamine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Milan Scheidegger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrik O Wyss
- Department of Radiology, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland
| | - Anke Henning
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Stippl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ana Herrera-Melendez
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Malek Bajbouj
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Aust
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Grimm
- Correspondence: Simone Grimm, PhD, MSB Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Straße 50, 14197 Berlin, Germany ()
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Glutamate Efflux across the Blood–Brain Barrier: New Perspectives on the Relationship between Depression and the Glutamatergic System. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12050459. [PMID: 35629963 PMCID: PMC9143347 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12050459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a significant cause of disability and affects millions worldwide; however, antidepressant therapies often fail or are inadequate. Current medications for treating major depressive disorder can take weeks or months to reach efficacy, have troubling side effects, and are limited in their long-term capabilities. Recent studies have identified a new set of glutamate-based approaches, such as blood glutamate scavengers, which have the potential to provide alternatives to traditional antidepressants. In this review, we hypothesize as to the involvement of the glutamate system in the development of depression. We identify the mechanisms underlying glutamate dysregulation, offering new perspectives on the therapeutic modalities of depression with a focus on its relationship to blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Ultimately, we conclude that in diseases with impaired BBB permeability, such as depression following stroke or traumatic brain injury, or in neurogenerative diseases, the glutamate system should be considered as a pathway to treatment. We propose that drugs such as blood glutamate scavengers should be further studied for treatment of these conditions.
Collapse
|
11
|
Continuous Ingestion of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus JB-1 during Chronic Stress Ensures Neurometabolic and Behavioural Stability in Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095173. [PMID: 35563564 PMCID: PMC9106030 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The intestinal microbiome composition and dietary supplementation with psychobiotics can result in neurochemical alterations in the brain, which are possible due to the presence of the brain–gut–microbiome axis. In the present study, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and behavioural testing were used to evaluate whether treatment with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus JB-1 (JB-1) bacteria alters brain metabolites’ levels and behaviour during continuous exposure to chronic stress. Twenty Wistar rats were subjected to eight weeks of a chronic unpredictable mild stress protocol. Simultaneously, half of them were fed with JB-1 bacteria, and the second half was given a daily placebo. Animals were examined at three-time points: before starting the stress protocol and after five and eight weeks of stress onset. In the elevated plus maze behavioural test the placebo group displayed increased anxiety expressed by almost complete avoidance of exploration, while the JB-1 dietary supplementation mitigated anxiety which resulted in a longer exploration time. Hippocampal MRS measurements demonstrated a significant decrease in glutamine + glutathione concentration in the placebo group compared to the JB-1 bacteria-supplemented group after five weeks of stress. With the progression of stress, the decrease of glutamate, glutathione, taurine, and macromolecular concentrations were observed in the placebo group as compared to baseline. The level of brain metabolites in the JB-1-supplemented rats were stable throughout the experiment, with only the taurine level decreasing between weeks five and eight of stress. These data indicated that the JB-1 bacteria diet might stabilize levels of stress-related neurometabolites in rat brain and could prevent the development of anxiety/depressive-like behaviour.
Collapse
|
12
|
Luttenbacher I, Phillips A, Kazemi R, Hadipour AL, Sanghvi I, Martinez J, Adamson MM. Transdiagnostic role of glutamate and white matter damage in neuropsychiatric disorders: A Systematic Review. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 147:324-348. [PMID: 35151030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.12.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ) have been considered distinct categories of diseases despite their overlapping characteristics and symptomatology. We aimed to provide an in-depth review elucidating the role of glutamate/Glx and white matter (WM) abnormalities in these disorders from a transdiagnostic perspective. The PubMed online database was searched for studies published between 2010 and 2021. After careful screening, 401 studies were included. The findings point to decreased levels of glutamate in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in both SZ and BD, whereas Glx is elevated in the Hippocampus in SZ and MDD. With regard to WM abnormalities, the Corpus Callosum and superior Longitudinal Fascicle were the most consistently identified brain regions showing decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) across all the reviewed disorders, except GAD. Additionally, the Uncinate Fasciculus displayed decreased FA in all disorders, except OCD. Decreased FA was also found in the inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus, inferior Fronto-Occipital Fasciculus, Thalamic Radiation, and Corona Radiata in SZ, BD, and MDD. Decreased FA in the Fornix and Corticospinal Tract were found in BD and SZ patients. The Cingulum and Anterior Limb of Internal Capsule exhibited decreased FA in MDD and SZ patients. The results suggest a gradual increase in severity from GAD to SZ defined by the number of brain regions with WM abnormality which may be partially caused by abnormal glutamate levels. WM damage could thus be considered a potential marker of some of the main neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ines Luttenbacher
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Rehabilitation Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Angela Phillips
- Rehabilitation Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Reza Kazemi
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abed L Hadipour
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Isha Sanghvi
- Rehabilitation Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julian Martinez
- Rehabilitation Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA; Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Maheen M Adamson
- Rehabilitation Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
McGrath T, Baskerville R, Rogero M, Castell L. Emerging Evidence for the Widespread Role of Glutamatergic Dysfunction in Neuropsychiatric Diseases. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14050917. [PMID: 35267893 PMCID: PMC8912368 DOI: 10.3390/nu14050917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The monoamine model of depression has long formed the basis of drug development but fails to explain treatment resistance or associations with stress or inflammation. Recent animal research, clinical trials of ketamine (a glutamate receptor antagonist), neuroimaging research, and microbiome studies provide increasing evidence of glutamatergic dysfunction in depression and other disorders. Glutamatergic involvement across diverse neuropathologies including psychoses, neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative conditions, and brain injury forms the rationale for this review. Glutamate is the brain's principal excitatory neurotransmitter (NT), a metabolic and synthesis substrate, and an immune mediator. These overlapping roles and multiple glutamate NT receptor types complicate research into glutamate neurotransmission. The glutamate microcircuit comprises excitatory glutamatergic neurons, astrocytes controlling synaptic space levels, through glutamate reuptake, and inhibitory GABA interneurons. Astroglia generate and respond to inflammatory mediators. Glutamatergic microcircuits also act at the brain/body interface via the microbiome, kynurenine pathway, and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Disruption of excitatory/inhibitory homeostasis causing neuro-excitotoxicity, with neuronal impairment, causes depression and cognition symptoms via limbic and prefrontal regions, respectively. Persistent dysfunction reduces neuronal plasticity and growth causing neuronal death and tissue atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases. A conceptual overview of brain glutamatergic activity and peripheral interfacing is presented, including the common mechanisms that diverse diseases share when glutamate homeostasis is disrupted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas McGrath
- Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6HG, UK; (T.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Richard Baskerville
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Marcelo Rogero
- School of Public Health, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246-904, Brazil;
| | - Linda Castell
- Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6HG, UK; (T.M.); (L.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Safinamide in the treatment pathway of Parkinson's Disease: a European Delphi Consensus. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2022; 8:17. [PMID: 35190544 PMCID: PMC8861053 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-022-00277-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Safinamide is a highly selective, reversible MAO B-inhibitor recently marketed in European and North American countries. To better define clinical indications regarding motor and non-motor symptoms, targeted population and safety of this compound, ten movement disorders specialists, experts in their field, convened and developed a panel of statements on: the role of glutamate in Parkinson's disease, introduction to fluctuations, efficacy of safinamide on motor symptoms, motor complications and non-motor symptoms, quality of life, safety of safinamide and target population for use. Strong consensus was reached for all the statements on the efficacy of safinamide on motor symptoms, motor fluctuations, quality of life and safety. Among non-motor symptoms, a positive consensus was reached for the symptoms sleep/fatigue, mood, and pain while there was a lack of consensus for the statements regarding the efficacy of safinamide in improving cognition, urinary and sexual functions. The statement on orthostatic hypotension obtained a negative consensus. The consistent and large agreement reached in this Delphi panel perfectly reflects the perception of efficacy, safety and tolerability of safinamide as evident from pivotal trials and clinical practice and shows how these findings may guide movement disorders specialists in their clinical therapeutic approach. The impact of non-motor symptoms in PD is considerable, and management remains an unmet need. In this context, the ability of safinamide to impact some non-motor symptoms may represent the most promising and distinctive feature of this compound and deserves further investigations.
Collapse
|
15
|
Gärtner M, Weigand A, Scheidegger M, Lehmann M, Wyss PO, Wunder A, Henning A, Grimm S. Acute effects of ketamine on the pregenual anterior cingulate: linking spontaneous activation, functional connectivity, and glutamate metabolism. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:703-714. [PMID: 35020021 PMCID: PMC9095553 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01377-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ketamine exerts its rapid antidepressant effects via modulation of the glutamatergic system. While numerous imaging studies have investigated the effects of ketamine on a functional macroscopic brain level, it remains unclear how altered glutamate metabolism and changes in brain function are linked. To shed light on this topic we here conducted a multimodal imaging study in healthy volunteers (N = 23) using resting state fMRI and proton (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to investigate linkage between metabolic and functional brain changes induced by ketamine. Subjects were investigated before and during an intravenous ketamine infusion. The MRS voxel was placed in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), as this region has been repeatedly shown to be involved in ketamine's effects. Our results showed functional connectivity changes from the pgACC to the right frontal pole and anterior mid cingulate cortex (aMCC). Absolute glutamate and glutamine concentrations in the pgACC did not differ significantly from baseline. However, we found that stronger pgACC activation during ketamine was linked to lower glutamine concentration in this region. Furthermore, reduced functional connectivity between pgACC and aMCC was related to increased pgACC activation and reduced glutamine. Our results thereby demonstrate how multimodal investigations in a single brain region could help to advance our understanding of the association between metabolic and functional changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matti Gärtner
- MSB Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Straße 50, 14197, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anne Weigand
- grid.466457.20000 0004 1794 7698MSB Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Straße 50, 14197 Berlin, Germany
| | - Milan Scheidegger
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mick Lehmann
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrik O. Wyss
- grid.419769.40000 0004 0627 6016Department of Radiology, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Wunder
- grid.420061.10000 0001 2171 7500Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Anke Henning
- grid.267313.20000 0000 9482 7121Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX USA
| | - Simone Grimm
- grid.466457.20000 0004 1794 7698MSB Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Straße 50, 14197 Berlin, Germany ,grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany ,grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Godlewska BR, Williams S, Emir UE, Chen C, Sharpley AL, Goncalves AJ, Andersson MI, Clarke W, Angus B, Cowen PJ. Neurochemical abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot magnetic resonance spectroscopy study at 7 Tesla. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:163-171. [PMID: 34609538 PMCID: PMC8770374 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05986-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a common and burdensome illness with a poorly understood pathophysiology, though many of the characteristic symptoms are likely to be of brain origin. The use of high-field proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) enables the detection of a range of brain neurochemicals relevant to aetiological processes that have been linked to CFS, for example, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. METHODS We studied 22 CFS patients and 13 healthy controls who underwent MRS scanning at 7 T with a voxel placed in the anterior cingulate cortex. Neurometabolite concentrations were calculated using the unsuppressed water signal as a reference. RESULTS Compared to controls, CFS patients had lowered levels of glutathione, total creatine and myo-inositol in anterior cingulate cortex. However, when using N-acetylaspartate as a reference metabolite, only myo-inositol levels continued to be significantly lower in CFS participants. CONCLUSIONS The changes in glutathione and creatine are consistent with the presence of oxidative and energetic stress in CFS patients and are potentially remediable by nutritional intervention. A reduction in myo-inositol would be consistent with glial dysfunction. However, the relationship of the neurochemical abnormalities to the causation of CFS remains to be established, and the current findings require prospective replication in a larger sample.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beata R. Godlewska
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen Williams
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Uzay E. Emir
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK ,grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
| | - Chi Chen
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ann L. Sharpley
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ana Jorge Goncalves
- grid.5379.80000000121662407Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Monique I. Andersson
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - William Clarke
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Brian Angus
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip J. Cowen
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK ,grid.416938.10000 0004 0641 5119Neurosciences Building, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX UK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Tran KH, Luki J, Hanstock S, Hanstock CC, Seres P, Aitchison K, Shandro T, Le Melledo JM. A comparative magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of GABA+ and glutamate referenced to creatine and phosphocreatine in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of perimenopausal women and women of reproductive age. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:989050. [PMID: 36386999 PMCID: PMC9644378 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.989050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The perimenopause is associated with an increased risk of developing a major depressive (MD) episode. The biological changes occurring during perimenopause responsible for this increased risk of depression remain to be elucidated. Postmortem and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies have revealed decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of MD patients. The objective of this study was to compare LDLPFC GABA+ and Glu ratios (referenced to creatine and phosphocreatine) in healthy reproductive-aged (RD) and perimenopausal (PM) women. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighteen healthy PM and 20 RD women were included in the study. Our dependent variables, LDLPFC Glu and GABA+ ratios which include homocarnosine and macromolecules, were measured via MRS, using a 3 Tesla magnet. Absence of current or past psychiatric diagnosis was confirmed via a structured interview. RD participants were scanned during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (MC). PM women were scanned outside of ovulatory cycles. RESULTS Mean LDLPFC GABA+ and Glu ratios were not statistically different between the PM group and RD group (PM mean = 0.10 ± 0.06, RD mean = 0.11 ± 0.04, t = -0.383, df = 36, d = -0.13, p = 0.70) (PM mean = 0.56 ± 0.06, RD mean = 0.57 ± 0.05, t = -0.794, df = 36, d = -0.26, p = 0.43), respectively. The perimenopause demarcates the end of the reproductive life. Unsurprisingly PM women were older than RD women (PM women: 48.8 ± 3.55 years, range 41-53 years old; RD women: 31.5 ± 9.66 years, range 18-47 years old) (p < 0.001). This inherent entanglement of group and age is a limitation of our study. CONCLUSION Contrary to our previous findings of decreased GABA+ and Glu in the medial prefrontal cortex in perimenopausal women, the perimenopause is not associated with decreased GABA+ or Glu ratios in the LDLPFC. This suggests that brain areas playing a role in MD display different sensitivity to the female hormones fluctuations associated with perimenopause.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim H Tran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jessica Luki
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sarah Hanstock
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Peter Seres
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Katherine Aitchison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Women and Children's Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Division of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry Section, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
| | - Tami Shandro
- Lois Hole Hospital for Women, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Dean RL, Hurducas C, Hawton K, Spyridi S, Cowen PJ, Hollingsworth S, Marquardt T, Barnes A, Smith R, McShane R, Turner EH, Cipriani A. Ketamine and other glutamate receptor modulators for depression in adults with unipolar major depressive disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021; 9:CD011612. [PMID: 34510411 PMCID: PMC8434915 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd011612.pub3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many studies have recently been conducted to assess the antidepressant efficacy of glutamate modification in mood disorders. This is an update of a review first published in 2015 focusing on the use of glutamate receptor modulators in unipolar depression. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects - and review the acceptability and tolerability - of ketamine and other glutamate receptor modulators in alleviating the acute symptoms of depression in people with unipolar major depressive disorder. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Ovid MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO all years to July 2020. We did not apply any restrictions to date, language or publication status. SELECTION CRITERIA Double- or single-blinded randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing ketamine, memantine, esketamine or other glutamate receptor modulators with placebo (pill or saline infusion), other active psychotropic drugs, or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in adults with unipolar major depression. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Three review authors independently identified studies, assessed trial quality and extracted data. The primary outcomes were response rate (50% reduction on a standardised rating scale) and adverse events. We decided a priori to measure the efficacy outcomes at different time points and run sensitivity/subgroup analyses. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool, and certainty of the evidence was assessed using GRADE. MAIN RESULTS Thirty-one new studies were identified for inclusion in this updated review. Overall, we included 64 studies (5299 participants) on ketamine (31 trials), esketamine (9), memantine (5), lanicemine (4), D-cycloserine (2), Org26576 (2), riluzole (2), atomoxetine (1), basimglurant (1), citicoline (1), CP-101,606 (1), decoglurant (1), MK-0657 (1), N-acetylcysteine (1), rapastinel (1), and sarcosine (1). Forty-eight studies were placebo-controlled, and 48 were two-arm studies. The majority of trials defined an inclusion criterion for the severity of depressive symptoms at baseline: 29 at least moderate depression; 17 severe depression; and five mild-to-moderate depression. Nineteen studies recruited only patients with treatment-resistant depression, defined as inadequate response to at least two antidepressants. The majority of studies investigating ketamine administered as a single dose, whilst all of the included esketamine studies used a multiple dose regimen (most frequently twice a week for four weeks). Most studies looking at ketamine used intravenous administration, whilst the majority of esketamine trials used intranasal routes. The evidence suggests that ketamine may result in an increase in response and remission compared with placebo at 24 hours odds ratio (OR) 3.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54 to 10.10; n = 185, studies = 7, very low-certainty evidence). Ketamine may reduce depression rating scale scores over placebo at 24 hours, but the evidence is very uncertain (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.87, 95% CI -1.26 to -0.48; n = 231, studies = 8, very low-certainty evidence). There was no difference in the number of participants assigned to ketamine or placebo who dropped out for any reason (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.19 to 8.28; n = 201, studies = 6, very low-certainty evidence). When compared with midazolam, the evidence showed that ketamine increases remission rates at 24 hours (OR 2.21, 95% CI 0.67 to 7.32; n = 122,studies = 2, low-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the response efficacy of ketamine at 24 hours in comparison with midazolam, and its ability to reduce depression rating scale scores at the same time point (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.00 to 6.18; n = 296, studies = 4,very low-certainty evidence). There was no difference in the number of participants who dropped out of studies for any reason between ketamine and placebo (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.05 to 2.09; n = 72, studies = 1, low-certainty evidence). Esketamine treatment likely results in a large increase in participants achieving remission at 24 hours compared with placebo (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.71 to 4.40; n = 894, studies = 5, moderate-certainty evidence). Esketamine probably results in decreases in depression rating scale scores at 24 hours compared with placebo (SMD -0.31, 95% CI -0.45 to -0.17; n = 824, studies = 4, moderate-certainty evidence). Our findings show that esketamine increased response rates, although this evidence is uncertain (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.68; n = 1071, studies = 5, low-certainty evidence). There was no evidence that participants assigned to esketamine treatment dropped out of trials more frequently than those assigned to placebo for any reason (OR 1.58, 95% CI 0.92 to 2.73; n = 773, studies = 4,moderate-certainty evidence). We found very little evidence for the remaining glutamate receptor modulators. We rated the risk of bias as low or unclear for most domains, though lack of detail regarding masking of treatment in the studies reduced our certainty in the effect for all outcomes. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that ketamine and esketamine may be more efficacious than placebo at 24 hours. How these findings translate into clinical practice, however, is not entirely clear. The evidence for use of the remaining glutamate receptor modulators is limited as very few trials were included in the meta-analyses for each comparison and the majority of comparisons included only one study. Long term non-inferiority RCTs comparing repeated ketamine and esketamine, and rigorous real-world monitoring are needed to establish comprehensive data on safety and efficacy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Keith Hawton
- Centre for Suicide Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Styliani Spyridi
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos, Cyprus
| | - Philip J Cowen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Rupert McShane
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Erick H Turner
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, P3MHDC, Portland, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Andrea Cipriani
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Onaolapo AY, Onaolapo OJ. Glutamate and depression: Reflecting a deepening knowledge of the gut and brain effects of a ubiquitous molecule. World J Psychiatry 2021; 11:297-315. [PMID: 34327123 PMCID: PMC8311508 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i7.297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The versatility of glutamate as the brain’s foremost excitatory neurotransmitter and modulator of neurotransmission and function is considered common knowledge. Years of research have continued to uncover glutamate’s effects and roles in several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. It had been considered that a deeper understanding of the roles of glutamate in depression might open a new door to understanding the pathological basis of the disorder, improve the approach to patient management, and lead to the development of newer drugs that may benefit more patients. This review examines our current understanding of the roles of endogenous and exogenous sources of glutamate and the glutamatergic system in the aetiology, progression and management of depression. It also examines the relationships that link the gut-brain axis, glutamate and depression; as it emphasizes how the gut-brain axis could impact depression pathogenesis and management via changes in glutamate homeostasis. Finally, we consider what the likely future of glutamate-based therapies and glutamate-based therapeutic manipulations in depression are, and if with them, we are now on the final chapter of understanding the neurochemical milieu of depressive disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adejoke Yetunde Onaolapo
- Behavioural Neuroscience Unit, Neurobiology Subdivision, Department of Anatomy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo State 234, Nigeria
| | - Olakunle James Onaolapo
- Behavioural Neuroscience Unit, Neuropharmacology Subdivision, Department of Pharmacology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo State 234, Nigeria
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Pagonabarraga J, Tinazzi M, Caccia C, Jost WH. The role of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: Clinical cases and a review of the literature. J Clin Neurosci 2021; 90:178-183. [PMID: 34275546 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.05.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and, as such, many brain regions, including the basal ganglia, are rich in glutamatergic neurons. The importance of the basal ganglia in the control of voluntary movement has long been recognised, with the effect of dysfunction of the region exemplified by the motor symptoms seen in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the basal ganglia and the associated glutamatergic system also play a role in the modulation of emotion, nociception and cognition, dysregulation of which result in some of the non-motor symptoms of PD (depression/anxiety, pain and cognitive deficits). Thus, while the treatment of PD has traditionally been approached from the perspective of dopaminergic replacement, using agents such as levodopa and dopamine receptor agonists, the glutamatergic system offers a novel treatment target for the disease. Safinamide has been approved in over 20 countries globally for fluctuating PD as add-on therapy to levodopa regimens for the management of 'off' episodes. The drug has both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic pharmacological effects, the latter including inhibition of abnormal glutamate release. The effect of safinamide on the glutamatergic system might present some advantages over dopamine-based therapies for PD by providing efficacy for motor (levodopa-induced dyskinesia) as well as non-motor (anxiety, mood disorders, pain) symptoms. In this article, we discuss the potential role of glutamatergic inhibition on these symptoms, using illustrative real-world examples of patients we have treated with safinamide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Pagonabarraga
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Michele Tinazzi
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - Carla Caccia
- CNS Preclinical Pharmacology, Independent Advisor, Milan, Italy.
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Sydnor VJ, Larsen B, Kohler C, Crow AJD, Rush SL, Calkins ME, Gur RC, Gur RE, Ruparel K, Kable JW, Young JF, Chawla S, Elliott MA, Shinohara RT, Nanga RPR, Reddy R, Wolf DH, Satterthwaite TD, Roalf DR. Diminished reward responsiveness is associated with lower reward network GluCEST: an ultra-high field glutamate imaging study. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:2137-2147. [PMID: 33479514 PMCID: PMC8292427 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00986-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Low reward responsiveness (RR) is associated with poor psychological well-being, psychiatric disorder risk, and psychotropic treatment resistance. Functional MRI studies have reported decreased activity within the brain's reward network in individuals with RR deficits, however the neurochemistry underlying network hypofunction in those with low RR remains unclear. This study employed ultra-high field glutamate chemical exchange saturation transfer (GluCEST) imaging to investigate the hypothesis that glutamatergic deficits within the reward network contribute to low RR. GluCEST images were acquired at 7.0 T from 45 participants (ages 15-29, 30 females) including 15 healthy individuals, 11 with depression, and 19 with psychosis spectrum symptoms. The GluCEST contrast, a measure sensitive to local glutamate concentration, was quantified in a meta-analytically defined reward network comprised of cortical, subcortical, and brainstem regions. Associations between brain GluCEST contrast and Behavioral Activation System Scale RR scores were assessed using multiple linear regressions. Analyses revealed that reward network GluCEST contrast was positively and selectively associated with RR, but not other clinical features. Follow-up investigations identified that this association was driven by the subcortical reward network and network areas that encode the salience of valenced stimuli. We observed no association between RR and the GluCEST contrast within non-reward cortex. This study thus provides new evidence that reward network glutamate levels contribute to individual differences in RR. Decreased reward network excitatory neurotransmission or metabolism may be mechanisms driving reward network hypofunction and RR deficits. These findings provide a framework for understanding the efficacy of glutamate-modulating psychotropics such as ketamine for treating anhedonia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valerie J. Sydnor
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bart Larsen
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christian Kohler
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew J. D. Crow
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sage L. Rush
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Monica E. Calkins
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kosha Ruparel
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joseph W. Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,MindCORE, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jami F. Young
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sanjeev Chawla
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mark A. Elliott
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Russell T. Shinohara
- Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Endeavor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Ravinder Reddy
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel H. Wolf
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Theodore D. Satterthwaite
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David R. Roalf
- Penn Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA;,Penn-CHOP Lifespan Brain Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Truong V, Cheng PZ, Lee HC, Lane TJ, Hsu TY, Duncan NW. Occipital gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate-glutamine alterations in major depressive disorder: An mrs study and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 308:111238. [PMID: 33385764 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate have been suggested to play a role in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) through an imbalance between cortical inhibition and excitation. This effect has been highlighted in higher brain areas, such as the prefrontal cortex, but has also been posited in basic sensory cortices. Based on this, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to investigate potential changes to GABA+ and glutamate+glutamine (Glx) concentrations within the occipital cortex in MDD patients (n = 25) and healthy controls (n = 25). No difference in occipital GABA+ or Glx concentrations, nor in the GABA+/Glx ratio, was found between groups. An analysis of an extended MDD patient and unmatched control dataset (n = 90) found no correlation between metabolite concentrations and depressive symptoms. These results were integrated with prior studies through metabolite-specific meta-analyses, revealing no difference in occipital GABA and Glx concentrations between patients and controls. An effect of publication year on GABA group differences was found, suggesting that previously reported results may have been artifacts of measurement accuracy. Taken together, our results suggest that, contrary to some prior reports, MRS measurements of occipital GABA and Glx do not differ between MDD patients and controls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vuong Truong
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, TMU-ShuangHo Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Vision and Cognition Lab, Centre for Integrative Neurosciences, Tübingen, Germany; Max-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Paul Z Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, TMU-ShuangHo Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Chien Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Timothy J Lane
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, TMU-ShuangHo Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Yu Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, TMU-ShuangHo Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Niall W Duncan
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, TMU-ShuangHo Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Neurotransmitters and Neurometabolites in Late-Life Depression: A Preliminary Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study at 7T. J Affect Disord 2021; 279:417-425. [PMID: 33120242 PMCID: PMC8606178 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) methods have quantified changes in levels of neurotransmitters and neurometabolites in patients with major depression across the lifespan. The application of 7T field strengths and greater have not been a major focus of study in patients with late-life depression (LLD). METHODS Nine LLD patients who met DSM-IV criteria for a current major depressive episode and nine non-depressed, healthy, age-matched controls underwent clinical and neuropsychological assessment and single-voxel 7T 1H-MRS at baseline and after 10-12 weeks of antidepressant treatment (Citalopram; patients only). Spectra were acquired from two brain regions implicated in both depressive symptoms and neuropsychological deficits in LLD, the anterior (ACC) and posterior cingulate (PCC). Levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu), glutathione (GSH), N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), N-acetylaspartate (NAA), and myo-inositol (mI) were quantified relative to total creatine (tCr) using linear-combination modeling. RESULTS Baseline Glu/tCr levels were not significantly different between groups. Decreased Glu/tCr levels after Citalopram treatment were observed in a subset of LLD patients. Exploratory analyses showed that LLD patients had lower NAA levels in the PCC relative to controls. Higher levels of ml in the LLD patients relative to the controls and decreases after Citalopram treatment had large effect sizes but were not statistically significant. Further, decreases in PCC Glu/tCr and increases in ACC GSH/tCr were associated with improvement in depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS Sample size. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results suggest a role of neurochemicals and neurometabolites in the neurobiology of LLD and antidepressant treatment response.
Collapse
|
24
|
Powers B, Joyce C, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Ajilore O, Leow A, Sodhi MS. Sex differences in the transcription of glutamate transporters in major depression and suicide. J Affect Disord 2020; 277:244-252. [PMID: 32836031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.07.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence indicates that the glutamate system contributes to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicide. We previously reported higher mRNA expression of glutamate receptors in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of females with MDD. METHODS In the current study, we measured the expression of mRNAs encoding glutamate transporters in the DLPFC of MDD subjects who died by suicide (MDD-S, n = 51), MDD non-suicide subjects (MDD-NS, n = 28), and individuals who did not have a history of neurological illness (CTRL, n = 32). RESULTS Females but not males with MDD showed higher expression of EAATs and VGLUTs relative to CTRLs. VGLUT expression was significantly higher in the female MDD-S group, relative to the other groups. EAAT expression was lower in the male violent suicides. LIMITATIONS This study has limitations common to most human studies, including medication history and demographic differences between the diagnostic groups. We mitigated the effects of confounders by including them as covariates in our analyses. CONCLUSIONS We report sex differences in the expression of glutamate transporter genes in the DLPFC in MDD. Increased neuronal glutamate transporter expression may increase synaptic glutamate, leading to neuronal and glial loss in the DLPFC in MDD. These deficits may lower DLPFC activity, impair problem solving and impair executive function in depression, perhaps increasing vulnerability to suicidal behavior. These data add to accumulating support for the hypothesis that glutamatergic transmission is dysregulated in MDD and suicide. Glutamate transporters may be novel targets for the development of rapidly acting antidepressant therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Powers
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Cara Joyce
- Biostatistics Collaborative Core, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, United States
| | - Joel E Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development and Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Thomas M Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development and Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Olusola Ajilore
- Dept. Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alex Leow
- Dept. Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Monsheel S Sodhi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, United States; Dept. Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
M M, Z RS, R A, A RJ. Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to Detect Correlations between Clinical Symptoms and Brain Metabolite Levels in Patients with Tension-type Headache. J Biomed Phys Eng 2020; 10:583-588. [PMID: 33134217 PMCID: PMC7557467 DOI: 10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.1039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HMRS) is a noninvasive method to quantify pain. A 1HMRS spectrum is a group of peaks at different radiofrequencies, showing proton nuclei in various chemical environments. These MR spectra provide information about metabolite concentrations, and make MRS a useful procedure to monitor metabolic fluctuations due to disease, and to track the efficacy of treatment. Objective: This study aims to identify correlations between clinical symptoms in patients with tension-type headache (TTH) and concentrations of brain metabolites. Material and Methods: In this observational study, twenty-four patients (4 men and 20 women) with chronic TTH were included. To evaluate their clinical symptoms,
the number of trigger points, headache frequency and headache intensity were recorded. The levels of anxiety and depression were recorded with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI- II). Concentrations of brain metabolites were determined in the anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus and primary somatosensory cortex of left hemisphere with 1HMRS. Results: There was a negative correlation between trigger point count and choline/creatine (Cho/Cr) ratio in the primary somatosensory cortex [r= −0.509, n= 24, p= 0.01].
There were no correlations between other clinical symptoms of TTH and concentrations of brain metabolites. Conclusion: Patients with more trigger points had a lower Cho/Cr ratio, which may indicate alterations in brain metabolic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamadi M
- PhD, Student Research Committee, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Rojhani-Shirazi Z
- PhD, Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Asadsangabi R
- PhD, Department of Radiology, Davis School of Medicine, University of California, USA
| | - Rahimi-Jaberi A
- PhD, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine,Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND Both acute and chronic pain can disrupt reward processing. Moreover, prolonged prescription opioid use and depressed mood are common in chronic pain samples. Despite the prevalence of these risk factors for anhedonia, little is known about anhedonia in chronic pain populations. METHODS We conducted a large-scale, systematic study of anhedonia in chronic pain, focusing on its relationship with opioid use/misuse, pain severity, and depression. Chronic pain patients across four distinct samples (N = 488) completed the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), measures of opioid use, pain severity and depression, as well as the Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM). We used a meta-analytic approach to determine reference levels of anhedonia in healthy samples spanning a variety of countries and diverse age groups, extracting SHAPS scores from 58 published studies totaling 2664 psychiatrically healthy participants. RESULTS Compared to healthy samples, chronic pain patients showed higher levels of anhedonia, with ~25% of patients scoring above the standard anhedonia cut-off. This difference was not primarily driven by depression levels, which explained less than 25% of variance in anhedonia scores. Neither opioid use duration, dose, nor pain severity alone was significantly associated with anhedonia. Yet, there was a clear effect of opioid misuse, with opioid misusers (COMM ⩾13) reporting greater anhedonia than non-misusers. Opioid misuse remained a significant predictor of anhedonia even after controlling for pain severity, depression and opioid dose. CONCLUSIONS Study results suggest that both chronic pain and opioid misuse contribute to anhedonia, which may, in turn, drive further pain and misuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric L Garland
- Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Marie Eikemo
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Gernot Ernst
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
- Kongsberg Hospital, Norway
| | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Bolo NR, Jacobson AM, Musen G, Keshavan MS, Simonson DC. Acute Hyperglycemia Increases Brain Pregenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex Glutamate Concentrations in Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes 2020; 69:1528-1539. [PMID: 32295804 PMCID: PMC7306132 DOI: 10.2337/db19-0936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The brain mechanisms underlying the association of hyperglycemia with depressive symptoms are unknown. We hypothesized that disrupted glutamate metabolism in pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) without depression affects emotional processing. Using proton MRS, we measured glutamate concentrations in ACC and occipital lobe cortex (OCC) in 13 subjects with T1D without major depression (HbA1c 7.1 ± 0.7% [54 ± 7 mmol/mol]) and 11 healthy control subjects without diabetes (HbA1c 5.5 ± 0.2% [37 ± 3 mmol/mol]) during fasting euglycemia followed by a 60-min +5.5 mmol/L hyperglycemic clamp (HG). Intrinsic neuronal activity was assessed using resting-state blood oxygen level-dependent functional MRI to measure the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in slow-4 band (fALFF4). Emotional processing and depressive symptoms were assessed using emotional tasks (emotional Stroop task, self-referent encoding task [SRET]) and clinical ratings (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D], Symptom Checklist-90 Revised [SCL-90-R]), respectively. During HG, ACC glutamate increased (1.2 mmol/kg, 10% P = 0.014) while ACC fALFF4 was unchanged (-0.007, -2%, P = 0.449) in the T1D group; in contrast, glutamate was unchanged (-0.2 mmol/kg, -2%, P = 0.578) while fALFF4 decreased (-0.05, -13%, P = 0.002) in the control group. OCC glutamate and fALFF4 were unchanged in both groups. T1D had longer SRET negative word response times (P = 0.017) and higher depression rating scores (HAM-D P = 0.020, SCL-90-R depression P = 0.008). Higher glutamate change tended to associate with longer emotional Stroop response times in T1D only. Brain glutamate must be tightly controlled during hyperglycemia because of the risk for neurotoxicity with excessive levels. Results suggest that ACC glutamate control mechanisms are disrupted in T1D, which affects glutamatergic neurotransmission related to emotional or cognitive processing. Increased prefrontal glutamate during acute hyperglycemic episodes could explain our previous findings of associations among chronic hyperglycemia, cortical thinning, and depressive symptoms in T1D.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas R Bolo
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Alan M Jacobson
- Research Institute, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY
| | - Gail Musen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Donald C Simonson
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Liu S. Metabonomic Profile and Signaling Pathway Prediction of Depression-Associated Suicidal Behavior. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:269. [PMID: 32372980 PMCID: PMC7177018 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Suicide is the most severe consequence of depression which has become a leading cause of disability and a global disease burden. Recent evidence indicates a central role of small molecules in the pathogenesis of depression and associated suicidal behaviors. However, there lacks a systemic exploration of small molecules in the development of depression-associated suicide, and it remains unclear how they affect an individual's behavior. In order to compare the metabonomic profiles between drug-naïve patients with depression-associated suicidal behaviors and healthy individuals, we conducted a systemic database search for studies of metabolic characteristics in depression-associated suicidal behavior. Manual data curation and statistical analysis and integration were performed in Excel. We further performed an enrichment analysis of signaling pathway prediction using the Reactome Pathway Analysis tool. We have identified 17 metabolites that expressed differently between drug-naïve patients with depression-associated suicidal behaviors and healthy controls. We have integrated these metabolites into biological signaling pathways and provided a visualized signaling network in depressed suicidal patients. We have revealed that "transport of small molecules", "disease", "metabolism" and "metabolism of proteins" were the most relevant signaling sections, among which "transport of inorganic cations/anions and amino acids/oligopeptides", "SLC-mediated transmembrane transport", and "metabolism of amino acids and derivatives" should be further studied to elucidate their potential pathogenic mechanism in the development of depression and associated suicidal behavior. In conclusion, our findings of these 17 metabolites and associated signaling pathways could provide an insight into the molecular pathogenesis of depression-associated suicidal behavior and potential targets for new drug inventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Song Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China
- Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Draganov M, Vives-Gilabert Y, de Diego-Adeliño J, Vicent-Gil M, Puigdemont D, Portella MJ. Glutamatergic and GABA-ergic abnormalities in First-episode depression. A 1-year follow-up 1H-MR spectroscopic study. J Affect Disord 2020; 266:572-577. [PMID: 32056929 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) studies have reported brain metabolic abnormalities in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Nevertheless, results have been inconsistent, focusing on fully developed major depression neglecting first episode patients (FED). Longitudinal studies have also been rare and with short follow-up periods. The aim of the current study was to investigate the differences between healthy controls and first episode patients at baseline, together with changes of metabolites after 1 year follow-up in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. METHODS 1H-MRS images were obtained from 64 healthy controls and 31 FED patients using a 3T Philips Achieva scanner and processed with TARQUIN software at baseline and after 1 year. Examined metabolites included Glx (corresponding to Glu+Gln-peak), Glu, NAAG, myo-Ins, Cr, GSH and GABA. Clinical improvement was assessed by HDRS-17 scale. Differences in the concentrations of metabolites were evaluated by MANOVA/MANCOVA and GLM repeated measures for longitudinal changes. RESULTS FED patients had significantly decreased glutamate levels at baseline (p < 0.05) along with significantly elevated GABA (p < 0.01) compared to healthy controls. At the follow up, myo- Ins levels were significantly increased compared to baseline (p < 0.05) LIMITATIONS: The limited sample size, together with the unexpectedly high response rate after treatment (83%) might suggest decreased representativeness of the sample. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate glutamatergic and GABAergic changes taking place within the ventromedial prefrontal region even at the early stage of depression prior to any medication treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Metodi Draganov
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | | | - Javier de Diego-Adeliño
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Muriel Vicent-Gil
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Dolors Puigdemont
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Maria J Portella
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Association between prefrontal glutamine levels and neuroticism determined using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:170. [PMID: 31213596 PMCID: PMC6581909 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0500-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence for GABA and glutamate-glutamine dysfunction in the pathogenesis of mood and anxiety disorders. It is important to study this pathology in the early phases of the illness in order to develop new approaches to secondary prevention. New magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measures allow determining glutamine, the principal metabolite of synaptic glutamate that is directly related to glutamate levels in the synaptic cleft, as well as glutamate and GABA. In contrast to previous investigations, this study used community-based recruitment methods and a combined categorical and dimensional approach to psychopathology. In the study protocol, neuroticism was defined as the primary outcome. Neuroticism shares a large proportion of its genetic variance with mood and anxiety disorders. We examined young adult participants recruited from the general population in a cross-sectional study using 3-T 1H-MRS with one voxel in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The total sample of N = 110 (61 females) included 18 individuals suffering from MDD and 19 individuals suffering from DSM-IV anxiety disorders. We found that glutamine and glutamine-to-glutamate ratio were correlated with neuroticism in the whole sample (r = 0.263, p = 0.005, and n = 110; respectively, r = 0.252, p = 0.008, and n = 110), even when controlling for depression and anxiety disorder diagnoses (for glutamine: beta = 0.220, p = 0.047, and n = 110). Glutamate and GABA were not significantly correlated with neuroticism (r = 0.087, p = 0.365, and n = 110; r = -0.044, p = 0.645, and n = 110). Lack of self-confidence and emotional instability were the clinical correlates of glutamate-glutamine dysfunction. In conclusion, this study suggests that prefrontal glutamine is increased in early phases of mood and anxiety disorders. Further understanding of glutamate-glutamine dysfunction in stress-related disorders may lead to new therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat these disorders.
Collapse
|
31
|
Colic L, von Düring F, Denzel D, Demenescu LR, Lord AR, Martens L, Lison S, Frommer J, Vogel M, Kaufmann J, Speck O, Li M, Walter M. Rostral Anterior Cingulate Glutamine/Glutamate Disbalance in Major Depressive Disorder Depends on Symptom Severity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:1049-1058. [PMID: 31202822 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) show glutamatergic deficits in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex. The glutamine/glutamate (Gln/Glu) ratio was proposed to be connected to glutamatergic cycling, which is hypothesized to be dysregulated in MDD. As an indicator of regional metabolite status, this ratio might be a robust state marker sensitive to clinical heterogeneity. METHODS Thirty-two MDD patients (mean age 40.88 ± 13.66 years, 19 women) and control subjects (mean age 33.09 ± 8.24 years, 19 women) were compared for pregenual anterior cingulate cortex levels of Gln/Glu, Gln/total creatine (tCr), Glu/tCr, and gamma-aminobutyric acid/tCr as determined by high-field magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We tested if symptom severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and anhedonia (Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale) influence the relation of metabolites to clinical symptoms. RESULTS MDD patients showed higher Gln/Glu. This was driven by marginally higher Gln/tCr and nonsignificantly lower Glu/tCr. Groups defined by severity moderated relationship between Gln/Glu and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Moreover, severe cases differed from both control subjects and moderate cases. Groups defined by the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale also displayed differential relationship between Gln/Glu and levels of anhedonia, predominantly driven by Gln/tCr. CONCLUSIONS We elaborate previous accounts of metabolite deficits in the anterior cingulate cortex toward increased Gln/Glu. There is a moderated relationship between severity and the ratio, which suggests consideration of different mechanisms or disease state for the respective subgroups in future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lejla Colic
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Felicia von Düring
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Denzel
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Anton R Lord
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Louise Martens
- Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Lison
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Joerg Frommer
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Mathias Vogel
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Joern Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Speck
- Department of Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Helmholz Association of Germany Research Centres, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Meng Li
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Martin Walter
- Clinical Affective Neuroimaging Laboratory, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Behavioral Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Godlewska BR, Emir UE, Masaki C, Bargiotas T, Cowen PJ. Changes in brain Glx in depressed bipolar patients treated with lamotrigine: A proton MRS study. J Affect Disord 2019; 246:418-421. [PMID: 30599363 PMCID: PMC6368663 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lamotrigine is a useful treatment in bipolar depression but requires several weeks of dose titration before its clinical effects can be assessed. Animal experimental studies suggest that lamotrigine lowers glutamate release. The aim of the current study was to assess the effect of lamotrigine on brain glutamate in depressed bipolar patients and to determine whether baseline glutamate could be used to predict clinical response. METHODS We studied 21 bipolar patients who received lamotrigine treatment for a current episode of depression. Before starting lamotrigine and after 10-12 weeks treatment, patients underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scanning at 3 Tesla where levels of glutamate (measured as Glx) were determined in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). RESULTS Overall, lamotrigine treatment had no significant effect on Glx levels in ACC. However, in patients who responded clinically to lamotrigine treatment Glx concentrations were significantly increased. Baseline levels of Glx did not predict response to lamotrigine. LIMITATIONS The main limitation of the study was the modest sample size. Most patients were medicated which may have modified the effect of lamotrigine on glutamate activity. MRS at 3T cannot give a reliable estimate of glutamate separate from its main metabolite, glutamine, and thus changes in Glx may not give a precise estimate of effects of lamotrigine on glutamate itself. CONCLUSION Lamotrigine does not appear to have a direct effect on glutamate levels in ACC in bipolar patients. However, therapeutic improvement during lamotrigine was associated with increased Glx, suggesting that alterations in glutamatergic activity might be related to recovery from bipolar depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beata R Godlewska
- Psychopharmacology Research Unit (PPRU), University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Neurosciences Building, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom.
| | - Uzay E Emir
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Charles Masaki
- Psychopharmacology Research Unit (PPRU), University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Neurosciences Building, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - Theodoras Bargiotas
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Warneford Lane, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - Philip J Cowen
- Psychopharmacology Research Unit (PPRU), University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Neurosciences Building, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Moriguchi S, Takamiya A, Noda Y, Horita N, Wada M, Tsugawa S, Plitman E, Sano Y, Tarumi R, ElSalhy M, Katayama N, Ogyu K, Miyazaki T, Kishimoto T, Graff-Guerrero A, Meyer JH, Blumberger DM, Daskalakis ZJ, Mimura M, Nakajima S. Glutamatergic neurometabolite levels in major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:952-964. [PMID: 30315224 PMCID: PMC6755980 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0252-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in glutamatergic neurotransmission are implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, and the glutamatergic system represents a treatment target for depression. To summarize the nature of glutamatergic alterations in patients with depression, we conducted a meta-analysis of proton magnetic resonance (1H-MRS) spectroscopy studies examining levels of glutamate. We used the search terms: depress* AND (MRS OR "magnetic resonance spectroscopy"). The search was performed with MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO. The inclusion criteria were 1H-MRS studies comparing levels of glutamate + glutamine (Glx), glutamate, or glutamine between patients with depression and healthy controls. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated to assess group differences in the levels of glutamatergic neurometabolites. Forty-nine studies met the eligibility criteria, which included 1180 patients and 1066 healthy controls. There were significant decreases in Glx within the medial frontal cortex (SMD = -0.38; 95% CI, -0.69 to -0.07) in patients with depression compared with controls. Subanalyses revealed that there was a significant decrease in Glx in the medial frontal cortex in medicated patients with depression (SMD = -0.50; 95% CI, -0.80 to -0.20), but not in unmedicated patients (SMD = -0.27; 95% CI, -0.76 to 0.21) compared with controls. Overall, decreased levels of glutamatergic metabolites in the medial frontal cortex are linked with the pathophysiology of depression. These findings are in line with the hypothesis that depression may be associated with abnormal glutamatergic neurotransmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sho Moriguchi
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Akihiro Takamiya
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Nobuyuki Horita
- 0000 0001 1033 6139grid.268441.dDepartment of Pulmonology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masataka Wada
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sakiko Tsugawa
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eric Plitman
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yasunori Sano
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Tarumi
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Muhammad ElSalhy
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nariko Katayama
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kamiyu Ogyu
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Miyazaki
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taishiro Kishimoto
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ariel Graff-Guerrero
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jeffrey H. Meyer
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Daniel M. Blumberger
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Zafiris J. Daskalakis
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Masaru Mimura
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Nakajima
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|