1
|
Nichols SJ, Yanes JA, Reid MA, Robinson JL. 7 T characterization of excitatory and inhibitory systems of acute pain in healthy female participants. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 37:e5088. [PMID: 38140895 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Current understanding of the physiological underpinnings of normative pain processing is incomplete. Enhanced knowledge of these systems is necessary to advance our understanding of pain processes as well as to develop effective therapeutic interventions. Previous neuroimaging research suggests a network of interrelated brain regions that seem to be implicated in the processing and experience of pain. Among these, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) plays an important role in the affective aspects of pain signals. The current study leveraged functional MRS to investigate the underlying dynamic shifts in the neurometabolic signature of the human dACC at rest and during acute pain. Results provide support for increased glutamate levels following acute pain administration. Specifically, a 4.6% increase in glutamate was observed during moderate pressure pain compared with baseline. Exploratory analysis also revealed meaningful changes in dACC gamma aminobutyric acid in response to pain stimulation. These data contribute toward the characterization of neurometabolic shifts, which lend insight into the role of the dACC in the pain network. Further research in this area with larger sample sizes could contribute to the development of novel therapeutics or other advances in pain-related outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Nichols
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Julio A Yanes
- Exponent Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Meredith A Reid
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Jennifer L Robinson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Craven AR, Dwyer G, Ersland L, Kazimierczak K, Noeske R, Sandøy LB, Johnsen E, Hugdahl K. GABA, glutamatergic dynamics and BOLD contrast assessed concurrently using functional MRS during a cognitive task. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 37:e5065. [PMID: 37897259 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
A recurring issue in functional neuroimaging is how to link task-driven haemodynamic blood oxygen level dependent functional MRI (BOLD-fMRI) responses to underlying neurochemistry at the synaptic level. Glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters respectively, are typically measured with MRS sequences separately from fMRI, in the absence of a task. The present study aims to resolve this disconnect, developing acquisition and processing techniques to simultaneously assess GABA, glutamate and glutamine (Glx) and BOLD in relation to a cognitive task, at 3 T. Healthy subjects (N = 81) performed a cognitive task (Eriksen flanker), which was presented visually in a task-OFF, task-ON block design, with individual event onset timing jittered with respect to the MRS readout. fMRS data were acquired from the medial anterior cingulate cortex during task performance, using an adapted MEGA-PRESS implementation incorporating unsuppressed water-reference signals at a regular interval. These allowed for continuous assessment of BOLD activation, through T2 *-related changes in water linewidth. BOLD-fMRI data were additionally acquired. A novel linear model was used to extract modelled metabolite spectra associated with discrete functional stimuli, building on well established processing and quantification tools. Behavioural outcomes from the flanker task, and activation patterns from the BOLD-fMRI sequence, were as expected from the literature. BOLD response assessed through fMRS showed a significant correlation with fMRI, specific to the fMRS-targeted region of interest; fMRS-assessed BOLD additionally correlated with lengthening of response time in the incongruent flanker condition. While no significant task-related changes were observed for GABA+, a significant increase in measured Glx levels (~8.8%) was found between task-OFF and task-ON periods. These findings verify the efficacy of our protocol and analysis pipelines for the simultaneous assessment of metabolite dynamics and BOLD. As well as establishing a robust basis for further work using these techniques, we also identify a number of clear directions for further refinement in future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Craven
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Engineering, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- NORMENT Center of Excellence, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Gerard Dwyer
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- NORMENT Center of Excellence, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Lars Ersland
- Department of Clinical Engineering, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- NORMENT Center of Excellence, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | | | | | - Lydia Brunvoll Sandøy
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Erik Johnsen
- NORMENT Center of Excellence, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kenneth Hugdahl
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Singh U, Das B, Khanra S, Roy C. Resting state and activated brain glutamate-glutamine, brain lactate, cognition, and psychopathology among males with schizophrenia: A 3 Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic (1H-MRS) study. Indian J Psychiatry 2024; 66:82-89. [PMID: 38419937 PMCID: PMC10898519 DOI: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_621_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Research on glutamate (Glu) in schizophrenia has so far been inconclusive. Based on preclinical studies on Glu lactate interaction, researchers have now focused on brain lactate level as a sign of major pathology, including cognitive dysfunctions in the brain. Our study aimed to examine changes at resting and activated states in brain lactate and Glu-glutamine (Glx) at the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in schizophrenia. Methods A hospital-based prospective study was conducted with twenty-two male cases of schizophrenia and matched healthy controls (HCs). Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Stroop tasks were administered among patients. Brain lactate and Glx at ACC were measured at resting state and during the Stroop test with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) both at baseline and at remission and once among HC. Result Though MoCA scores improved significantly (P < 0.001) at remission from baseline among cases, repeated-measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) did not find a significant time effect for Glx (P = 0.82) and lactate (P = 0.30) among cases from baseline to remission. Glx and lactate changed differently from baseline to remission. Conclusion Our study did not find significant differences in Glx and lactate between schizophrenia patients and HC. No significant time effect on Glx and lactate was observed from baseline to remission among schizophrenia cases. Different changes observed in Glx and lactate from baseline to remission require replication in future studies with larger sample size, longer follow-up period, and multivoxel MR assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ujjwal Singh
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| | - Basudeb Das
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| | - Sourav Khanra
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| | - Chandramouli Roy
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Howes OD, Bukala BR, Beck K. Schizophrenia: from neurochemistry to circuits, symptoms and treatments. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:22-35. [PMID: 38110704 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00904-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a leading cause of global disability. Current pharmacotherapy for the disease predominantly uses one mechanism - dopamine D2 receptor blockade - but often shows limited efficacy and poor tolerability. These limitations highlight the need to better understand the aetiology of the disease to aid the development of alternative therapeutic approaches. Here, we review the latest meta-analyses and other findings on the neurobiology of prodromal, first-episode and chronic schizophrenia, and the link to psychotic symptoms, focusing on imaging evidence from people with the disorder. This evidence demonstrates regionally specific neurotransmitter alterations, including higher glutamate and dopamine measures in the basal ganglia, and lower glutamate, dopamine and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in cortical regions, particularly the frontal cortex, relative to healthy individuals. We consider how dysfunction in cortico-thalamo-striatal-midbrain circuits might alter brain information processing to underlie psychotic symptoms. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for developing new, mechanistically based treatments and precision medicine for psychotic symptoms, as well as negative and cognitive symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver D Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Bernard R Bukala
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Katherine Beck
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Frank SM, Becker M, Malloni WM, Sasaki Y, Greenlee MW, Watanabe T. Protocol to conduct functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy in different age groups of human participants. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102493. [PMID: 37572324 PMCID: PMC10448431 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a protocol to conduct functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) in human participants before, during, and after training on a visual task. We describe steps for participant setup, volume-of-interest placement, fMRS measurement, and post-scan tests. We discuss the design, analysis, and interpretation of fMRS experiments. This protocol can be adapted to investigate the dynamics of chief excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters (glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid, GABA, respectively) while participants perform or learn perceptual, motor, or cognitive tasks. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Frank et al. (2022).1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian M Frank
- University of Regensburg, Institute for Experimental Psychology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Markus Becker
- University of Regensburg, Institute for Experimental Psychology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Wilhelm M Malloni
- University of Regensburg, Institute for Experimental Psychology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Yuka Sasaki
- Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Mark W Greenlee
- University of Regensburg, Institute for Experimental Psychology, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Takeo Watanabe
- Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Koolschijn RS, Clarke WT, Ip IB, Emir UE, Barron HC. Event-related functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Neuroimage 2023; 276:120194. [PMID: 37244321 PMCID: PMC7614684 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Proton-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive brain imaging technique used to measure the concentration of different neurochemicals. "Single-voxel" MRS data is typically acquired across several minutes, before individual transients are averaged through time to give a measurement of neurochemical concentrations. However, this approach is not sensitive to more rapid temporal dynamics of neurochemicals, including those that reflect functional changes in neural computation relevant to perception, cognition, motor control and ultimately behaviour. In this review we discuss recent advances in functional MRS (fMRS) that now allow us to obtain event-related measures of neurochemicals. Event-related fMRS involves presenting different experimental conditions as a series of trials that are intermixed. Critically, this approach allows spectra to be acquired at a time resolution in the order of seconds. Here we provide a comprehensive user guide for event-related task designs, choice of MRS sequence, analysis pipelines, and appropriate interpretation of event-related fMRS data. We raise various technical considerations by examining protocols used to quantify dynamic changes in GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Overall, we propose that although more data is needed, event-related fMRS can be used to measure dynamic changes in neurochemicals at a temporal resolution relevant to computations that support human cognition and behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renée S Koolschijn
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - William T Clarke
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - I Betina Ip
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Uzay E Emir
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, United States
| | - Helen C Barron
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
McCutcheon RA, Keefe RSE, McGuire PK. Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: aetiology, pathophysiology, and treatment. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1902-1918. [PMID: 36690793 PMCID: PMC10575791 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01949-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia, account for much of the impaired functioning associated with the disorder and are not responsive to existing treatments. In this review, we first describe the clinical presentation and natural history of these deficits. We then consider aetiological factors, highlighting how a range of similar genetic and environmental factors are associated with both cognitive function and schizophrenia. We then review the pathophysiological mechanisms thought to underlie cognitive symptoms, including the role of dopamine, cholinergic signalling and the balance between GABAergic interneurons and glutamatergic pyramidal cells. Finally, we review the clinical management of cognitive impairments and candidate novel treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert A McCutcheon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK.
- Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
| | - Richard S E Keefe
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Philip K McGuire
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Veeraiah P, Jansen JFA. Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at Ultra-High-Field: Assessing Human Cerebral Metabolism in Healthy and Diseased States. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040577. [PMID: 37110235 PMCID: PMC10143499 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is a highly energetic organ. Although the brain can consume metabolic substrates, such as lactate, glycogen, and ketone bodies, the energy metabolism in a healthy adult brain mainly relies on glucose provided via blood. The cerebral metabolism of glucose produces energy and a wide variety of intermediate metabolites. Since cerebral metabolic alterations have been repeatedly implicated in several brain disorders, understanding changes in metabolite levels and corresponding cell-specific neurotransmitter fluxes through different substrate utilization may highlight the underlying mechanisms that can be exploited to diagnose or treat various brain disorders. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a noninvasive tool to measure tissue metabolism in vivo. 1H-MRS is widely applied in research at clinical field strengths (≤3T) to measure mostly high abundant metabolites. In addition, X-nuclei MRS including, 13C, 2H, 17O, and 31P, are also very promising. Exploiting the higher sensitivity at ultra-high-field (>4T; UHF) strengths enables obtaining unique insights into different aspects of the substrate metabolism towards measuring cell-specific metabolic fluxes in vivo. This review provides an overview about the potential role of multinuclear MRS (1H, 13C, 2H, 17O, and 31P) at UHF to assess the cerebral metabolism and the metabolic insights obtained by applying these techniques in both healthy and diseased states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pandichelvam Veeraiah
- Scannexus (Ultra-High-Field MRI Center), 6229 EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jacobus F A Jansen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612 AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lea-Carnall CA, El-Deredy W, Stagg CJ, Williams SR, Trujillo-Barreto NJ. A mean-field model of glutamate and GABA synaptic dynamics for functional MRS. Neuroimage 2023; 266:119813. [PMID: 36528313 PMCID: PMC7614487 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) have enabled the quantification of activity-dependent changes in neurotransmitter concentrations in vivo. However, the physiological basis of the large changes in GABA and glutamate observed by fMRS (>10%) over short time scales of less than a minute remain unclear as such changes cannot be accounted for by known synthesis or degradation metabolic pathways. Instead, it has been hypothesized that fMRS detects shifts in neurotransmitter concentrations as they cycle from presynaptic vesicles, where they are largely invisible, to extracellular and cytosolic pools, where they are detectable. The present paper uses a computational modelling approach to demonstrate the viability of this hypothesis. A new mean-field model of the neural mechanisms generating the fMRS signal in a cortical voxel is derived. The proposed macroscopic mean-field model is based on a microscopic description of the neurotransmitter dynamics at the level of the synapse. Specifically, GABA and glutamate are assumed to cycle between three metabolic pools: packaged in the vesicles; active in the synaptic cleft; and undergoing recycling and repackaging in the astrocytic or neuronal cytosol. Computational simulations from the model are used to generate predicted changes in GABA and glutamate concentrations in response to different types of stimuli including pain, vision, and electric current stimulation. The predicted changes in the extracellular and cytosolic pools corresponded to those reported in empirical fMRS data. Furthermore, the model predicts a selective control mechanism of the GABA/glutamate relationship, whereby inhibitory stimulation reduces both neurotransmitters, whereas excitatory stimulation increases glutamate and decreases GABA. The proposed model bridges between neural dynamics and fMRS and provides a mechanistic account for the activity-dependent changes in the glutamate and GABA fMRS signals. Lastly, these results indicate that echo-time may be an important timing parameter that can be leveraged to maximise fMRS experimental outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A Lea-Carnall
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, UK.
| | - Wael El-Deredy
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería en Salud, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile; Valencian Graduate School and Research Network of Artificial Intelligence.; Department of Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat de Val..ncia, Spain..
| | - Charlotte J Stagg
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen R Williams
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Nelson J Trujillo-Barreto
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Tal A. The future is 2D: spectral-temporal fitting of dynamic MRS data provides exponential gains in precision over conventional approaches. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:499-507. [PMID: 36121336 PMCID: PMC10087547 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Many MRS paradigms produce 2D spectral-temporal datasets, including diffusion-weighted, functional, and hyperpolarized and enriched (carbon-13, deuterium) experiments. Conventionally, temporal parameters-such as T2 , T1 , or diffusion constants-are assessed by first fitting each spectrum independently and subsequently fitting a temporal model (1D fitting). We investigated whether simultaneously fitting the entire dataset using a single spectral-temporal model (2D fitting) would improve the precision of the relevant temporal parameter. METHODS We derived a Cramer Rao lower bound for the temporal parameters for both 1D and 2D approaches for 2 experiments: a multi-echo experiment designed to estimate metabolite T2 s, and a functional MRS experiment designed to estimate fractional change ( δ $$ \delta $$ ) in metabolite concentrations. We investigated the dependence of the relative standard deviation (SD) of T2 in multi-echo and δ $$ \delta $$ in functional MRS. RESULTS When peaks were spectrally distant, 2D fitting improved precision by approximately 20% relative to 1D fitting, regardless of the experiment and other parameter values. These gains increased exponentially as peaks drew closer. Dependence on temporal model parameters was weak to negligible. CONCLUSION Our results strongly support a 2D approach to MRS fitting where applicable, and particularly in nuclei such as hydrogen and deuterium, which exhibit substantial spectral overlap.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Tal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Pasanta D, He JL, Ford T, Oeltzschner G, Lythgoe DJ, Puts NA. Functional MRS studies of GABA and glutamate/Glx - A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:104940. [PMID: 36332780 PMCID: PMC9846867 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) can be used to investigate neurometabolic responses to external stimuli in-vivo, but findings are inconsistent. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on fMRS studies of the primary neurotransmitters Glutamate (Glu), Glx (Glutamate + Glutamine), and GABA. Data were extracted, grouped by metabolite, stimulus domain, and brain region, and analysed by determining standardized effect sizes. The quality of individual studies was rated. When results were analysed by metabolite type small to moderate effect sizes of 0.29-0.47 (p < 0.05) were observed for changes in Glu and Glx regardless of stimulus domain and brain region, but no significant effects were observed for GABA. Further analysis suggests that Glu, Glx and GABA responses differ by stimulus domain or task and vary depending on the time course of stimulation and data acquisition. Here, we establish effect sizes and directionality of GABA, Glu and Glx response in fMRS. This work highlights the importance of standardised reporting and minimal best practice for fMRS research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duanghathai Pasanta
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, London SE5 8AB, United Kingdom,Department of Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Jason L. He
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, London SE5 8AB, United Kingdom
| | - Talitha Ford
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia,Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Georg Oeltzschner
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 700. N. Broadway, 21207, Baltimore, United States,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N. Wolfe Street, 21205, Baltimore, United States
| | - David J. Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, London SE5 8AB, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolaas A. Puts
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, London SE5 8AB, United Kingdom,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Jelen LA, Green MS, King S, Morris AG, Zhang X, Lythgoe DJ, Young AH, De Belleroche J, Stone JM. Variants in the zinc transporter-3 encoding gene (SLC30A3) in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: Effects on brain glutamate-A pilot study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:929306. [PMID: 36203844 PMCID: PMC9531870 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.929306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3) has been implicated in the aetiopathology of schizophrenia. In this pilot study, we tested the hypothesis that the presence of a minor allele of two variants in the gene encoding ZnT3 (SLC30A3) affects brain glutamate and cognitive activity in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. Fifteen patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), 15 with bipolar affective disorder type 2 (BD), and 14 healthy volunteers (HV) were genotyped for two SLC30A3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs11126936 and rs11126929). They also underwent structural and functional MRI (n-back) imaging as well as static (PRESS) and functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (n-back) on a 3 Tesla MRI system. SCZ with at least one copy of the minor allele showed reductions in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex glutamate during the n-back task, whereas SCZ without the minor allele showed an increase in glutamate. BD with the minor allele had reduced glutamate in the anterior cingulate cortex (p < 0.05). There was no effect of SLC30A3 genotype on BOLD activation during n-back or on cortical brain volume. This study supports the further investigation of SLC30A3 and its role in glutamatergic neurotransmission and in the neuropathology of mental illness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke A. Jelen
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, United Kingdom
| | - Mark S. Green
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sinead King
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
- Centre for Neuroimaging and Cognitive Genomics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Alex G. Morris
- Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xinyuan Zhang
- Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Lythgoe
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Allan H. Young
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, United Kingdom
| | | | - James M. Stone
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, United Kingdom
- Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, Eastbourne DGH, Eastbourne, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Koush Y, Rothman DL, Behar KL, de Graaf RA, Hyder F. Human brain functional MRS reveals interplay of metabolites implicated in neurotransmission and neuroenergetics. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2022; 42:911-934. [PMID: 35078383 PMCID: PMC9125492 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x221076570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
While functional MRI (fMRI) localizes brain activation and deactivation, functional MRS (fMRS) provides insights into the underlying metabolic conditions. There is much interest in measuring task-induced and resting levels of metabolites implicated in neuroenergetics (e.g., lactate, glucose, or β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB)) and neurotransmission (e.g., γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or pooled glutamate and glutamine (Glx)). Ultra-high magnetic field (e.g., 7T) has boosted the fMRS quantification precision, reliability, and stability of spectroscopic observations using short echo-time (TE) 1H-MRS techniques. While short TE 1H-MRS lacks sensitivity and specificity for fMRS at lower magnetic fields (e.g., 3T or 4T), most of these metabolites can also be detected by J-difference editing (JDE) 1H-MRS with longer TE to filter overlapping resonances. The 1H-MRS studies show that JDE can detect GABA, Glx, lactate, and BHB at 3T, 4T and 7T. Most recently, it has also been demonstrated that JDE 1H-MRS is capable of reliable detection of metabolic changes in different brain areas at various magnetic fields. Combining fMRS measurements with fMRI is important for understanding normal brain function, but also clinically relevant for mechanisms and/or biomarkers of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. We provide an up-to-date overview of fMRS research in the last three decades, both in terms of applications and technological advances. Overall the emerging fMRS techniques can be expected to contribute substantially to our understanding of metabolism for brain function and dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yury Koush
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Douglas L Rothman
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kevin L Behar
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Robin A de Graaf
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Fahmeed Hyder
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Mamiya PC, Richards TL, Edden RAE, Lee AKC, Stein MA, Kuhl PK. Reduced Glx and GABA Inductions in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Caudate Nucleus Are Related to Impaired Control of Attention in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094677. [PMID: 35563067 PMCID: PMC9100027 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs the control of attention and behavioral inhibition in affected individuals. Recent genome-wide association findings have revealed an association between glutamate and GABA gene sets and ADHD symptoms. Consistently, people with ADHD show altered glutamate and GABA content in the brain circuitry that is important for attention control function. Yet, it remains unknown how glutamate and GABA content in the attention control circuitry change when people are controlling their attention, and whether these changes can predict impaired attention control in people with ADHD. To study these questions, we recruited 18 adults with ADHD (31-51 years) and 16 adults without ADHD (28-54 years). We studied glutamate + glutamine (Glx) and GABA content in the fronto-striatal circuitry while participants performed attention control tasks. We found that Glx and GABA concentrations at rest did not differ between participants with ADHD or without ADHD. However, while participants were performing the attention control tasks, participants with ADHD showed smaller Glx and GABA increases than participants without ADHD. Notably, smaller GABA increases in participants with ADHD significantly predicted their poor task performance. Together, these findings provide the first demonstration showing that attention control deficits in people with ADHD may be related to insufficient responses of the GABAergic system in the fronto-striatal circuitry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ping C. Mamiya
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Todd L. Richards
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Richard A. E. Edden
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
| | - Adrian K. C. Lee
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Mark A. Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Patricia K. Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Neufeld RWJ, Shanahan MJ. Formal Innovations in Clinical Cognitive Science and Assessment. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09637214211070816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Mathematical modeling is increasingly driving progress in clinical cognitive science and assessment. Mathematical modeling is essential for detecting certain effects of psychopathology through comprehensive understanding of telltale cognitive variables, such as workload capacity and efficiency in using capacity, as well as for quantitatively stipulating the subtle but important differences among these variables. The research paradigm guiding this formal clinical science is outlined. A distinctive cognitive abnormality in schizophrenia—taking longer to cognitively represent encountered stimulation—is used as a specific example to illustrate a general quantitative framework for studying intricate phenomena that impair mental health. Developments in mathematical modeling will also benefit symptom description and prediction; provide grounding in cognitive and statistical science for new methods of clinical assessment over time, both for individuals and for treatment regimens; and contribute to refining the cognitive-function side of clinical functional neurophysiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard W. J. Neufeld
- Department of Psychology, Western University
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University
- Neuroscience Program, Western University
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Progressive changes in descriptive discourse in First Episode Schizophrenia: a longitudinal computational semantics study. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2022; 8:36. [PMID: 35853894 PMCID: PMC9261094 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00246-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractComputational semantics, a branch of computational linguistics, involves automated meaning analysis that relies on how words occur together in natural language. This offers a promising tool to study schizophrenia. At present, we do not know if these word-level choices in speech are sensitive to the illness stage (i.e., acute untreated vs. stable established state), track cognitive deficits in major domains (e.g., cognitive control, processing speed) or relate to established dimensions of formal thought disorder. In this study, we collected samples of descriptive discourse in patients experiencing an untreated first episode of schizophrenia and healthy control subjects (246 samples of 1-minute speech; n = 82, FES = 46, HC = 36) and used a co-occurrence based vector embedding of words to quantify semantic similarity in speech. We obtained six-month follow-up data in a subsample (99 speech samples, n = 33, FES = 20, HC = 13). At baseline, semantic similarity was evidently higher in patients compared to healthy individuals, especially when social functioning was impaired; but this was not related to the severity of clinically ascertained thought disorder in patients. Across the study sample, higher semantic similarity at baseline was related to poorer Stroop performance and processing speed. Over time, while semantic similarity was stable in healthy subjects, it increased in patients, especially when they had an increasing burden of negative symptoms. Disruptions in word-level choices made by patients with schizophrenia during short 1-min descriptions are sensitive to interindividual differences in cognitive and social functioning at first presentation and persist over the early course of the illness.
Collapse
|
17
|
Loon A, Zamudio F, Sanneh A, Brown B, Smeltzer S, Brownlow ML, Quadri Z, Peters M, Weeber E, Nash K, Lee DC, Gordon MN, Morgan D, Selenica MLB. Accumulation of C-terminal cleaved tau is distinctly associated with cognitive deficits, synaptic plasticity impairment, and neurodegeneration in aged mice. GeroScience 2022; 44:173-194. [PMID: 34410588 PMCID: PMC8810980 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00408-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
C-terminal cleaved tau at D421 (∆D421-tau) accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. However, it is unclear how tau truncation, an understudied tau post-translational modification, contributes to AD pathology and progression. Utilizing an adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery-based approach, we overexpressed full-length tau (FL-tau) and ∆D421-tau in 4- and 12-month-old mice for 4 months to study the neuropathological impact of accumulation in young adult (8-month) and middle-aged (16-month) mice. Overall, we show that independent of the tau species, age was an important factor facilitating tau phosphorylation, oligomer formation, and deposition into silver-positive tangles. However, mice overexpressing ∆D421-tau exhibited a distinct phosphorylation profile to those overexpressing FL-tau and increased tau oligomerization in the middle-age group. Importantly, overexpression of ∆D421-tau, but not FL-tau in middle-aged mice, resulted in pronounced cognitive impairments and hippocampal long-term potentiation deficits. While both FL-tau and ∆D421-tau induced neuronal loss in mice with age, ∆D421-tau led to significant neuronal loss in the CA3 area of the hippocampus and medial entorhinal cortex compared to FL-tau. Based on our data, we conclude that age increases the susceptibility to neuronal degeneration associated with ΔD421-tau accumulation. Our findings suggest that ΔD421-tau accumulation contributes to synaptic plasticity and cognitive deficits, thus representing a potential target for tau-associated pathologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anjanet Loon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Frank Zamudio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Awa Sanneh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Breanna Brown
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Shayna Smeltzer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Milene L. Brownlow
- Department of Molecular Pharmacological & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Zainuddin Quadri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
- Sanders-Brown Center On Aging (SBCoA), College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY USA
| | - Melinda Peters
- Department of Molecular Pharmacological & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Edwin Weeber
- Department of Molecular Pharmacological & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Kevin Nash
- Department of Molecular Pharmacological & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Daniel C. Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
- Sanders-Brown Center On Aging (SBCoA), College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY USA
| | - Marcia N. Gordon
- Department of Molecular Pharmacological & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
- Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 USA
| | - Dave Morgan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacological & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
- Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 USA
| | - Maj-Linda B. Selenica
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
- Sanders-Brown Center On Aging (SBCoA), College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, 800 S. Limestone St, Lexington, KY 40536 USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Hangel G, Niess E, Lazen P, Bednarik P, Bogner W, Strasser B. Emerging methods and applications of ultra-high field MR spectroscopic imaging in the human brain. Anal Biochem 2022; 638:114479. [PMID: 34838516 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) of the brain enables insights into the metabolic changes and fluxes in diseases such as tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, or hepatic encephalopathy, as well as insights into general brain functionality. However, the routine application of MRSI is mostly hampered by very low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) due to the low concentrations of metabolites, about 10000 times lower than water. Furthermore, MRSI spectra have a dense information content with many overlapping metabolite resonances, especially for proton MRSI. MRI scanners at ultra-high field strengths, like 7 T or above, offer the opportunity to increase SNR, as well as the separation between resonances, thus promising to solve both challenges. Yet, MRSI at ultra-high field strengths is challenged by decreased B0- and B1-homogeneity, shorter T2 relaxation times, stronger chemical shift displacement errors, and aggravated lipid contamination. Therefore, to capitalize on the advantages of ultra-high field strengths, these challenges must be overcome. This review focuses on the challenges MRSI of the human brain faces at ultra-high field strength, as well as the possible applications to this date.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert Hangel
- High Field MR Centre, Department of Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Niess
- High Field MR Centre, Department of Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Lazen
- High Field MR Centre, Department of Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Petr Bednarik
- High Field MR Centre, Department of Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Bogner
- High Field MR Centre, Department of Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Strasser
- High Field MR Centre, Department of Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Koolschijn RS, Shpektor A, Clarke WT, Ip IB, Dupret D, Emir UE, Barron HC. Memory recall involves a transient break in excitatory-inhibitory balance. eLife 2021; 10:e70071. [PMID: 34622779 PMCID: PMC8516417 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain has a remarkable capacity to acquire and store memories that can later be selectively recalled. These processes are supported by the hippocampus which is thought to index memory recall by reinstating information stored across distributed neocortical circuits. However, the mechanism that supports this interaction remains unclear. Here, in humans, we show that recall of a visual cue from a paired associate is accompanied by a transient increase in the ratio between glutamate and GABA in visual cortex. Moreover, these excitatory-inhibitory fluctuations are predicted by activity in the hippocampus. These data suggest the hippocampus gates memory recall by indexing information stored across neocortical circuits using a disinhibitory mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renée S Koolschijn
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Shpektor
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - William T Clarke
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - I Betina Ip
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David Dupret
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Uzay E Emir
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, United States
| | - Helen C Barron
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, FMRIB, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Neural Correlates of Aberrant Salience and Source Monitoring in Schizophrenia and At-Risk Mental States-A Systematic Review of fMRI Studies. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10184126. [PMID: 34575237 PMCID: PMC8468329 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10184126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive biases are an important factor contributing to the development and symptom severity of psychosis. Despite the fact that various cognitive biases are contributing to psychosis, they are rarely investigated together. In the current systematic review, we aimed at investigating specific and shared functional neural correlates of two important cognitive biases: aberrant salience and source monitoring. We conducted a systematic search of fMRI studies of said cognitive biases. Eight studies on aberrant salience and eleven studies on source monitoring were included in the review. We critically discussed behavioural and neuroimaging findings concerning cognitive biases. Various brain regions are associated with aberrant salience and source monitoring in individuals with schizophrenia and the risk of psychosis. The ventral striatum and insula contribute to aberrant salience. The medial prefrontal cortex, superior and middle temporal gyrus contribute to source monitoring. The anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus contribute to both cognitive biases, constituting a neural overlap. Our review indicates that aberrant salience and source monitoring may share neural mechanisms, suggesting their joint role in producing disrupted external attributions of perceptual and cognitive experiences, thus elucidating their role in positive symptoms of psychosis. Account bridging mechanisms of these two biases is discussed. Further studies are warranted.
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhang H, Chiu PW, Ip I, Liu T, Wong GHY, Song YQ, Wong SWH, Herrup K, Mak HKF. Asymmetric left-right hippocampal glutamatergic modulation of cognitive control in ApoE-isoform subjects is unrelated to neuroinflammation. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5310-5326. [PMID: 34309092 PMCID: PMC9290961 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The glutamatergic cycle is essential in modulating memory processing by the hippocampal circuitry. Our combined proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H‐MRS) and task‐based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study (using face‐name paired‐associates encoding and retrieval task) of a cognitively normal cohort of 67 healthy adults (18 ApoE4 carriers and 49 non‐ApoE4 carriers) found altered patterns of relationships between glutamatergic‐modulated synaptic signalling and neuronal activity or functional hyperaemia in the ApoE4 isoforms. Our study highlighted the asymmetric left–right hippocampal glutamatergic system in modulating neuronal activities in ApoE4 carriers versus non‐carriers. Such brain differentiation might be developmental cognitive advantages or compensatory due to impaired synaptic integrity and plasticity in ApoE4 carriers. As there was no difference in myoinositol levels measured by MRS between the ApoE4 and non‐ApoE4 subgroups, the mechanism is unlikely to be a response to neuroinflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Alzheimer's Disease Research Network, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Pui Wai Chiu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Isaac Ip
- Department of Educational Psychology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Tianyin Liu
- Department of Social Work and Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Gloria Hoi Yan Wong
- Department of Social Work and Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - You-Qiang Song
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Savio Wai Ho Wong
- Department of Educational Psychology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Karl Herrup
- Alzheimer Disease Research Centre, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Henry Ka Fung Mak
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Alzheimer's Disease Research Network, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
High temporal resolution functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the mouse upon visual stimulation. Neuroimage 2021; 234:117973. [PMID: 33762216 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) quantifies metabolic variations upon presentation of a stimulus and can therefore provide complementary information compared to activity inferred from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Improving the temporal resolution of fMRS can be beneficial to clinical applications where detailed information on metabolism can assist the characterization of brain function in healthy and sick populations as well as for neuroscience applications where information on the nature of the underlying activity could be potentially gained. Furthermore, fMRS with higher temporal resolution could benefit basic studies on animal models of disease and for investigating brain function in general. However, to date, fMRS has been limited to sustained periods of activation which risk adaptation and other undesirable effects. Here, we performed fMRS experiments in the mouse with high temporal resolution (12 s), and show the feasibility of such an approach for reliably quantifying metabolic variations upon activation. We detected metabolic variations in the superior colliculus of mice subjected to visual stimulation delivered in a block paradigm at 9.4 T. A robust modulation of glutamate is observed on the average time course, on the difference spectra and on the concentration distributions during active and recovery periods. A general linear model is used for the statistical analysis, and for exploring the nature of the modulation. Changes in NAAG, PCr and Cr levels were also detected. A control experiment with no stimulation reveals potential metabolic signal "drifts" that are not correlated with the functional activity, which should be taken into account when analyzing fMRS data in general. Our findings are promising for future applications of fMRS.
Collapse
|
23
|
Bojesen KB, Broberg BV, Fagerlund B, Jessen K, Thomas MB, Sigvard A, Tangmose K, Nielsen MØ, Andersen GS, Larsson HBW, Edden RA, Rostrup E, Glenthøj BY. Associations Between Cognitive Function and Levels of Glutamatergic Metabolites and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in Antipsychotic-Naïve Patients With Schizophrenia or Psychosis. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:278-287. [PMID: 32928500 PMCID: PMC9683086 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal glutamate and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) levels have been found in the early phase of schizophrenia and may underlie cognitive deficits. However, the association between cognitive function and levels of glutamatergic metabolites and GABA has not been investigated in a large group of antipsychotic-naïve patients. METHODS In total, 56 antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia or psychotic disorder and 51 healthy control subjects underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure glutamate, glutamate+glutamine (Glx), and GABA levels in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and glutamate and Glx levels in left thalamus. The cognitive domains of attention, working memory, and IQ were assessed. RESULTS The whole group of antipsychotic-naïve patients had lower levels of GABA in dorsal ACC (p = .03), and the subgroup of patients with a schizophrenia diagnosis had higher glutamate levels in thalamus (p = .01), but Glx levels in dorsal ACC and thalamus did not differ between groups. Glx levels in dorsal ACC were positively associated with working memory (logarithmically transformed: b = -.016 [higher score indicates worse performance], p = .005) and attention (b = .056, p = .035) in both patients and healthy control subjects, although the association with attention did not survive adjustment for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest a positive association between glutamatergic metabolites and cognitive function that do not differ between patients and healthy control subjects. Moreover, our data indicate that decreased GABAergic levels in dorsal ACC are involved in schizophrenia and psychotic disorder, whereas increased glutamate levels in thalamus seem to be implicated in schizophrenia pathophysiology. The findings imply that first-episode patients with cognitive deficits may gain from glutamate-modulating compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Borup Bojesen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark.
| | - Brian Villumsen Broberg
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Fagerlund
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, and Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Kasper Jessen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Marie Bjerregaard Thomas
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Anne Sigvard
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Karen Tangmose
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Mette Ødegaard Nielsen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Gitte Saltoft Andersen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Henrik Bo Wiberg Larsson
- Functional Imaging Unit, Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Richard A.E. Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Egill Rostrup
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Birte Yding Glenthøj
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Center Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Glutamatergic response to a low load working memory paradigm in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:451-459. [PMID: 31102169 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00122-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Working memory deficits have been widely reported in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the neural mechanisms of working memory dysfunction in MCI have not been clearly understood. In this study, we used proton functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-fMRS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand the underlying neurobiology of working memory deficits in patients with MCI. We aimed at detecting the changes in the concentration of glutamate and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activity using 1H-fMRS and fMRI respectively during a low load verbal (0 back and 1 back) working memory in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) between patients with MCI and healthy controls. Fifteen patients with amnestic MCI and twenty two age, gender and education matched healthy controls underwent a low load verbal working memory 1H-fMRS and fMRI. We observed significant increase in glutamate during working memory task (both 0 back and 1 back) in healthy controls and such changes were absent in patients with MCI. However, percent signal changes representing BOLD activity during both 0 back and 1 back was not significantly different between two groups. Our findings suggest that 1H-fMRS complements fMRI in understanding the working memory mechanism in the left DLPFC.
Collapse
|
25
|
Jelen LA, Lythgoe DJ, Jackson JB, Howard MA, Stone JM, Egerton A. Imaging Brain Glx Dynamics in Response to Pressure Pain Stimulation: A 1H-fMRS Study. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:681419. [PMID: 34393848 PMCID: PMC8357306 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.681419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate signalling is increasingly implicated across a range of psychiatric, neurological and pain disorders. Reliable methodologies are needed to probe the glutamate system and understand glutamate dynamics in vivo. Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-fMRS) is a technique that allows measurement of glutamatergic metabolites over time in response to task conditions including painful stimuli. In this study, 18 healthy volunteers underwent 1H-fMRS during a pressure-pain paradigm (8 blocks of REST and 8 blocks of PAIN) across two separate sessions. During each session, estimates of glutamate + glutamine (Glx), scaled to total creatine (tCr = creatine + phosphocreatine) were determined for averaged REST and PAIN conditions within two separate regions of interest: the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsal ACC (dACC). A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance determined a significant main effect of CONDITION (p = 0.025), with higher Glx/tCr during PAIN compared to REST across combined sessions, in the dACC ROI only. However, increases in dACC Glx/tCr during PAIN compared to REST showed limited reliability and reproducibility across sessions. Future test-retest 1H-fMRS studies should examine modified or alternative paradigms to determine more reliable methodologies to challenge the glutamate system that may then be applied in patient groups and experimental medicine studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke A Jelen
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,South London and Maudsley National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - David J Lythgoe
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jade B Jackson
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Medical Research Council (MRC) Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew A Howard
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - James M Stone
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,South London and Maudsley National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Egerton
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Bagga D, Cecchetto C, Aigner CS, Tiraspolski I, Koschutnig K, Fischmeister FPS, Schöpf V. Metabolic Dynamics in the Prefrontal Cortex during a Working Memory Task in Young Adult Smokers. Eur Addict Res 2021; 27:428-438. [PMID: 34077927 DOI: 10.1159/000515004] [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: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cigarette smoking is known to modulate brain metabolism and brain function. How the dynamics of these metabolic alterations influence the active performance of higher order cognitive tasks in smokers, compared to non-smokers, is still unclear. The present exploratory study sought to examine the impact of smoking on the "complete" metabolic profile while the participants performed a working memory (N-back) task. METHODS The study sample consisted of 40 young male healthy participants (smokers [n = 20] and non-smokers [n = 20]). Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were acquired using a 3 T whole-body MR system. Data analysis was performed using Java-based Magnetic Resonance User Interface software, and metabolite ratios with respect to creatine (Cr) were calculated. RESULTS On a behavioural level, smokers showed worse performance (measured by d') than non-smokers. However, we observed significant differences in the metabolite concentrations in smokers compared to non-smokers, which also changed over the course of the N-back task. A significant effect of the group was observed with smokers showing lower glutamate/Cr (Glx/Cr) and choline/Cr (Cho/Cr) ratios than non-smokers. Further, N-acetyl aspartate (NAA/Cr) and Cho/Cr ratios were significantly different during the rest and the task conditions. In addition, our results demonstrated the metabolite interactions (NAA and Cho, Glx and myo-inositol [mI], and Cho and mI). CONCLUSION Further studies are necessary to shed more light on the association between smoking behaviours and metabolic alterations. However, our preliminary findings would assist in this future research to have a complete understanding of the metabolite interactions not only in smoking but also in addiction research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Bagga
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Cinzia Cecchetto
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Christoph Stefan Aigner
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Medical Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Veronika Schöpf
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria.,Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Computational Imaging Research Lab (CIR), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Sydnor VJ, Roalf DR. A meta-analysis of ultra-high field glutamate, glutamine, GABA and glutathione 1HMRS in psychosis: Implications for studies of psychosis risk. Schizophr Res 2020; 226:61-69. [PMID: 32723493 PMCID: PMC7750272 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ultra-high field proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HMRS) offers a unique opportunity to measure the concentration of neurometabolites implicated in psychosis (PSY). The extant 7 T 1HMRS literature measuring glutamate-associated neurometabolites in the brain in PSY in vivo is small, but a comprehensive, quantitative summary of these data can offer insight and guidance to this emerging field. This meta-analysis examines proton spectroscopy (1HMRS) measures of glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), glutamate+glutamine (Glx), gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutathione (GSH) across 255 individuals with PSY (121 first episode) and 293 healthy comparison participants (HC). While all five neurometabolites were lower in PSY as compared to HC, only Glu (Cohen's d = -0.18) and GSH (Cohen's d = -0.21) concentrations were significantly lower in PSY, whereas concentrations of Gln, Glx, and GABA did not significantly differ between groups. Notably, 1HMRS methodological choices and sample demographic characteristics did not impact study-specific effect sizes for PSY-related Glu or GSH differences. This review thus provides further evidence of neurometabolite dysfunction in first episode and chronic PSY, and thereby suggests that Glu and GSH abnormalities may additionally play a role in more incipient stages of the disorder: in clinical high risk stages. Additional 7 T neurochemical imaging studies in larger, longitudinal, and unmedicated samples and in youth at risk for developing psychosis are needed. Such studies will be critical for elucidating the neurodevelopmental and clinical time course of PSY-related neurometabolite alterations, and for assessing the potential for implicated metabolites to serve as druggable targets for decreasing PSY risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valerie J Sydnor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - David R Roalf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America; Lifespan Brain Institute at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia & the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Increased Glutamate concentrations during prolonged motor activation as measured using functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at 3T. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117338. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
|
29
|
Archibald J, MacMillan EL, Graf C, Kozlowski P, Laule C, Kramer JLK. Metabolite activity in the anterior cingulate cortex during a painful stimulus using functional MRS. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19218. [PMID: 33154474 PMCID: PMC7645766 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76263-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand neurochemical brain responses to pain, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) is used in humans in vivo to examine various metabolites. Recent MRS investigations have adopted a functional approach, where acquisitions of MRS are performed over time to track task-related changes. Previous studies suggest glutamate is of primary interest, as it may play a role during cortical processing of noxious stimuli. The objective of this study was to examine the metabolic effect (i.e., glutamate) in the anterior cingulate cortex during noxious stimulation using fMRS. The analysis addressed changes in glutamate and glutamate + glutamine (Glx) associated with the onset of pain, and the degree by which fluctuations in metabolites corresponded with continuous pain outcomes. Results suggest healthy participants undergoing tonic noxious stimulation demonstrated increased concentrations of glutamate and Glx at the onset of pain. Subsequent reports of pain were not accompanied by corresponding changes in glutamate of Glx concentrations. An exploratory analysis on sex revealed large effect size changes in glutamate at pain onset in female participants, compared with medium-sized effects in male participants. We propose a role for glutamate in the ACC related to the detection of a noxious stimulus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Archibald
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - E L MacMillan
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- ImageTech Lab, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, Canada
- Philips Healthcare Canada, Markham, Canada
| | - C Graf
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - P Kozlowski
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Hughill Center, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - C Laule
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Hughill Center, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - J L K Kramer
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health (DMCH), Vancouver, Canada
- Hughill Center, Vancouver, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Egerton A, Grace AA, Stone J, Bossong MG, Sand M, McGuire P. Glutamate in schizophrenia: Neurodevelopmental perspectives and drug development. Schizophr Res 2020; 223:59-70. [PMID: 33071070 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Research into the neurobiological processes that may lead to the onset of schizophrenia places growing emphasis on the glutamatergic system and brain development. Preclinical studies have shown that neurodevelopmental, genetic, and environmental factors contribute to glutamatergic dysfunction and schizophrenia-related phenotypes. Clinical research has suggested that altered brain glutamate levels may be present before the onset of psychosis and relate to outcome in those at clinical high risk. After psychosis onset, glutamate dysfunction may also relate to the degree of antipsychotic response and clinical outcome. These findings support ongoing efforts to develop pharmacological interventions that target the glutamate system and could suggest that glutamatergic compounds may be more effective in specific patient subgroups or illness stages. In this review, we consider the updated glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia, from a neurodevelopmental perspective, by reviewing recent preclinical and clinical evidence, and discuss the potential implications for novel therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Egerton
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - James Stone
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Matthijs G Bossong
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Sand
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ridgefield, CT, USA
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Limongi R, Jeon P, Mackinley M, Das T, Dempster K, Théberge J, Bartha R, Wong D, Palaniyappan L. Glutamate and Dysconnection in the Salience Network: Neurochemical, Effective Connectivity, and Computational Evidence in Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:273-281. [PMID: 32312577 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional dysconnection in schizophrenia is underwritten by a pathophysiology of the glutamate neurotransmission that affects the excitation-inhibition balance in key nodes of the salience network. Physiologically, this manifests as aberrant effective connectivity in intrinsic connections involving inhibitory interneurons. In computational terms, this produces a pathology of evidence accumulation and ensuing inference in the brain. Finally, the pathophysiology and aberrant inference would partially account for the psychopathology of schizophrenia as measured in terms of symptoms and signs. We refer to this formulation as the 3-level hypothesis. METHODS We tested the hypothesis in core nodes of the salience network (the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex [dACC] and the anterior insula) of 20 patients with first-episode psychosis and 20 healthy control subjects. We established 3-way correlations between the magnetic resonance spectroscopy measures of glutamate, effective connectivity of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, and correlations between measures of this connectivity and estimates of precision (inherent in evidence accumulation in the Stroop task) and psychopathology. RESULTS Glutamate concentration in the dACC was associated with higher and lower inhibitory connectivity in the dACC and in the anterior insula, respectively. Crucially, glutamate concentration correlated negatively with the inhibitory influence on the excitatory neuronal population in the dACC of subjects with first-episode psychosis. Furthermore, aberrant computational parameters of the Stroop task performance were associated with aberrant inhibitory connections. Finally, the strength of connections from the dACC to the anterior insula correlated negatively with severity of social withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS These findings support a link between glutamate-mediated cortical disinhibition, effective-connectivity deficits, and computational performance in psychosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Limongi
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Peter Jeon
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Mackinley
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tushar Das
- Department of Strategic Enterprise Solutions, Fanshawe College, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kara Dempster
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jean Théberge
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Neuropsychiatry Imaging Lab, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Joseph's Health Care London, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Bartha
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dickson Wong
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lena Palaniyappan
- Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
McCutcheon RA, Krystal JH, Howes OD. Dopamine and glutamate in schizophrenia: biology, symptoms and treatment. World Psychiatry 2020; 19:15-33. [PMID: 31922684 PMCID: PMC6953551 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 268] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate and dopamine systems play distinct roles in terms of neuronal signalling, yet both have been proposed to contribute significantly to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this paper we assess research that has implicated both systems in the aetiology of this disorder. We examine evidence from post-mortem, preclinical, pharmacological and in vivo neuroimaging studies. Pharmacological and preclinical studies implicate both systems, and in vivo imaging of the dopamine system has consistently identified elevated striatal dopamine synthesis and release capacity in schizophrenia. Imaging of the glutamate system and other aspects of research on the dopamine system have produced less consistent findings, potentially due to methodological limitations and the heterogeneity of the disorder. Converging evidence indicates that genetic and environmental risk factors for schizophrenia underlie disruption of glutamatergic and dopaminergic function. However, while genetic influences may directly underlie glutamatergic dysfunction, few genetic risk variants directly implicate the dopamine system, indicating that aberrant dopamine signalling is likely to be predominantly due to other factors. We discuss the neural circuits through which the two systems interact, and how their disruption may cause psychotic symptoms. We also discuss mechanisms through which existing treatments operate, and how recent research has highlighted opportunities for the development of novel pharmacological therapies. Finally, we consider outstanding questions for the field, including what remains unknown regarding the nature of glutamate and dopamine function in schizophrenia, and what needs to be achieved to make progress in developing new treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert A McCutcheon
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley Foundation NHS Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
| | - John H Krystal
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- VA National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Oliver D Howes
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley Foundation NHS Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder: Glutamate dynamics in the anterior cingulate cortex during a working memory task. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:222-234. [PMID: 30558824 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The glutamate system is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and mood disorders. Using functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-fMRS), it is possible to monitor glutamate dynamically in activated brain areas and may give a closer estimate of glutamatergic neurotransmission than standard magnetic resonance spectroscopy. 14 patients with schizophrenia, 15 patients with bipolar disorder II (BPII) and 14 healthy volunteers underwent a 15 min N-back task in a 48s block design during 1H-fMRS acquisition. Data from the first, second and third 16s group of 8 spectra for each block were analysed to measure levels of glutamate and Glx (glutamate + glutamine), scaled to total creatine (TCr), across averaged 0-back and 2-back conditions. A 6 × 3 repeated-measures analysis of variance (rmANOVA) demonstrated a significant main effect of time for Glx/TCr (P = 0.022). There was a significant increase in Glu/TCr (P = 0.004) and Glx/TCr (P < 0.001) between the final spectra of the 0-back and first spectra of the 2-back condition in the healthy control group only. 2 × 2 rmANOVA revealed a significant time by group interaction for Glx/TCr (P = 0.019) across the 0-back condition, with levels reducing in healthy controls and increasing in the schizophrenia group. While healthy volunteers showed significant increases in glutamatergic measures between task conditions, the lack of such a response in patients with schizophrenia and BPII may reflect deficits in glutamatergic neurotransmission. Abnormal increases during periods of relatively low executive load, without the same dynamic modulation as healthy volunteers with increasing task difficulty, further suggests underlying abnormalities of glutamatergic neurotransmission in schizophrenia.
Collapse
|
34
|
Liachenko S, Ramu J. Sex differences in the effect of acute administration of nicotine on MRS-measured metabolic profile of the rat brain. Neurosci Res 2019; 157:51-57. [PMID: 31381938 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2019.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Women are less able to stop smoking than men. Elucidation of sex differences in the tobacco addiction could facilitate personalized treatment. Specialized brain reward systems are controlling the behavior through reinforcement using specific neuromediators. Using non-invasive magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to ascertain addiction/harm biomarkers could lead to better management of public health through advancements in regulatory and translational research. Proton MRS was used to monitor changes of specific neurometabolites in hippocampus (HC), nucleus accumbens (NAC), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of rats of both sexes after single intraperitoneal injection of nicotine. At the baseline, male rats showed higher level of GABA, taurine, N-acetyl aspartate, and creatine in HC, and taurine in NAC. Also, there were stronger correlations between neurometabolites in females than in males at the baseline. Nicotine administration changed taurine, GABA, myo-inositol, choline, and N-acetyl aspartate in HC, and taurine in NAC. Significant interactions between time, treatment, and sex were detected for taurine and choline in HC. The number of inter-metabolite correlations increased significantly in ACC and decreased in NAC and HC in females after nicotine administration, while in males it was unchanged. There are distinct sex differences in neurometabolic profiles at the baseline and after acute nicotine administration. Nicotine changes inter-metabolite correlations in females more than in males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serguei Liachenko
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, 72079, USA.
| | - Jaivijay Ramu
- Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR, 72079, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Mitelman SA. Transdiagnostic neuroimaging in psychiatry: A review. Psychiatry Res 2019; 277:23-38. [PMID: 30639090 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Transdiagnostic approach has a long history in neuroimaging, predating its recent ascendance as a paradigm for new psychiatric nosology. Various psychiatric disorders have been compared for commonalities and differences in neuroanatomical features and activation patterns, with different aims and rationales. This review covers both structural and functional neuroimaging publications with direct comparison of different psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. Major findings are systematically presented along with specific rationales for each comparison.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serge A Mitelman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Elmhurst Hospital Center, 79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY 11373, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
King S, Jelen LA, Horne CM, Cleare A, Pariante CM, Young AH, Stone JM. Inflammation, Glutamate, and Cognition in Bipolar Disorder Type II: A Proof of Concept Study. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:66. [PMID: 30881316 PMCID: PMC6405512 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Two current theories regarding the neuroscientific bases of mood disorders involve alterations in glutamatergic neurotransmission and excessive activation of inflammatory pathways. We hypothesized that glutamate (Glu) levels and peripheral inflammatory markers would be associated with cognitive function, in patients with Bipolar Disorder Type II (BP-II), and that such factors would be associated with psychological treatment outcomes. Aims: The primary aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the neurotransmitter Glu, cytokines (CRP, IL_6, and TNFa) and neuropsychological and related functioning. The secondary aim was to assess cognitive functioning as a predictor of poor response to psychological therapy. Methods: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were acquired from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of 15 participants with BP-II, and 13 healthy controls in a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The Digit Symbol Task (DST) for processing speed, TMT-B for executive function and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) were administered to assess cognitive domains. Results: There was no significant difference in anterior cingulate Glu, or inflammatory markers between groups. Furthermore, we found no significant difference between groups in any cognitive tests. Scores on the DST were found to be significantly associated with poor response to psychological therapy. Conclusions: This study may highlight an association between neuropsychological dysfunction and treatment outcome in euthymic patients with BP-II. We did not find any association between peripheral inflammatory markers and brain Glu levels. This may have been in part due to the small sample size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sinead King
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luke A. Jelen
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte M. Horne
- Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Cleare
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carmine M. Pariante
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Allan H. Young
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - James M. Stone
- Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Zhu X, Nedelcovych MT, Thomas AG, Hasegawa Y, Moreno-Megui A, Coomer W, Vohra V, Saito A, Perez G, Wu Y, Alt J, Prchalova E, Tenora L, Majer P, Rais R, Rojas C, Slusher BS, Kamiya A. JHU-083 selectively blocks glutaminase activity in brain CD11b + cells and prevents depression-associated behaviors induced by chronic social defeat stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:683-694. [PMID: 30127344 PMCID: PMC6372721 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0177-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
There are a number of clinically effective treatments for stress-associated psychiatric diseases, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Nonetheless, many patients exhibit resistance to first-line interventions calling for novel interventions based on pathological mechanisms. Accumulating evidence implicates altered glutamate signaling in MDD pathophysiology, suggesting that modulation of glutamate signaling cascades may offer novel therapeutic potential. Here we report that JHU-083, our recently developed prodrug of the glutaminase inhibitor 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON) ameliorates social avoidance and anhedonia-like behaviors in mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). JHU-083 normalized CSDS-induced increases in glutaminase activity specifically in microglia-enriched CD11b+ cells isolated from the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. JHU-083 treatment also reverses the CSDS-induced inflammatory activation of CD11b+ cells. These results support the importance of altered glutamate signaling in the behavioral abnormalities observed in the CSDS model, and identify glutaminase in microglia-enriched CD11b+ cells as a pharmacotherapeutic target implicated in the pathophysiology of stress-associated psychiatric conditions such as MDD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Zhu
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Michael T. Nedelcovych
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Ajit G. Thomas
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Yuto Hasegawa
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Aisa Moreno-Megui
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Wade Coomer
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Varun Vohra
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Atsushi Saito
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Gabriel Perez
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Ying Wu
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Jesse Alt
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Eva Prchalova
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Lukáš Tenora
- 0000 0001 1015 3316grid.418095.1Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i., Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Majer
- 0000 0001 1015 3316grid.418095.1Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i., Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Rana Rais
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Camilo Rojas
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Atsushi Kamiya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Wong D, Schranz AL, Bartha R. Optimized in vivo brain glutamate measurement using long-echo-time semi-LASER at 7 T. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2018; 31:e4002. [PMID: 30144183 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A short echo time (TE ) is commonly used for brain glutamate measurement by 1 H MRS to minimize drawbacks of long TE such as signal modulation due to J evolution and T2 relaxation. However, J coupling causes the spectral patterns of glutamate to change with TE , and the shortest achievable TE may not produce the optimal glutamate measurement. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal TE for glutamate measurement at 7 T using semi-LASER (localization by adiabatic selective refocusing). Time-domain simulations were performed to model the TE dependence of glutamate signal energy, a measure of glutamate signal strength, and were verified against measurements made in the human sensorimotor cortex (five subjects, 2 × 2 × 2 cm3 voxel, 16 averages) on a 7 T MRI scanner. Simulations showed a local maximum of glutamate signal energy at TE = 107 ms. In vivo, TE = 105 ms produced a low Cramér-Rao lower bound of 6.5 ± 2.0% across subjects, indicating high-quality fits of the prior knowledge model to in vivo data. TE = 105 ms also produced the greatest glutamate signal energy with the smallest inter-subject glutamate-to-creatine ratio (Glu/Cr) coefficient of variation (CV), 4.6%. Using these CVs, we performed sample size calculations to estimate the number of participants per group required to detect a 10% change in Glu/Cr between two groups with 95% confidence. 13 were required at TE = 45 ms, the shortest achievable echo time on our 7 T MRI scanner, while only 5 were required at TE = 105 ms, indicating greater statistical power. These results indicate that TE = 105 ms is optimum for in vivo glutamate measurement at 7 T with semi-LASER. Using long TE decreases power deposition by allowing lower maximum RF pulse amplitudes in conjunction with longer RF pulses. Importantly, long TE minimizes macromolecule contributions, eliminating the requirement for acquisition of separate macromolecule spectra or macromolecule fitting techniques, which add additional scan time or bias the estimated glutamate fit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dickson Wong
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Amy L Schranz
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Bartha
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Vanes LD, Mouchlianitis E, Collier T, Averbeck BB, Shergill SS. Differential neural reward mechanisms in treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Psychol Med 2018; 48:2418-2427. [PMID: 29439750 PMCID: PMC6704377 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718000041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The significant proportion of schizophrenia patients refractory to treatment, primarily directed at the dopamine system, suggests that multiple mechanisms may underlie psychotic symptoms. Reinforcement learning tasks have been employed in schizophrenia to assess dopaminergic functioning and reward processing, but these have not directly compared groups of treatment-refractory and non-refractory patients. METHODS In the current functional magnetic resonance imaging study, 21 patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), 21 patients with non-treatment-resistant schizophrenia (NTR), and 24 healthy controls (HC) performed a probabilistic reinforcement learning task, utilizing emotionally valenced face stimuli which elicit a social bias toward happy faces. Behavior was characterized with a reinforcement learning model. Trial-wise reward prediction error (RPE)-related neural activation and the differential impact of emotional bias on these reward signals were compared between groups. RESULTS Patients showed impaired reinforcement learning relative to controls, while all groups demonstrated an emotional bias favoring happy faces. The pattern of RPE signaling was similar in the HC and TRS groups, whereas NTR patients showed significant attenuation of RPE-related activation in striatal, thalamic, precentral, parietal, and cerebellar regions. TRS patients, but not NTR patients, showed a positive relationship between emotional bias and RPE signal during negative feedback in bilateral thalamus and caudate. CONCLUSION TRS can be dissociated from NTR on the basis of a different neural mechanism underlying reinforcement learning. The data support the hypothesis that a favorable response to antipsychotic treatment is contingent on dopaminergic dysfunction, characterized by aberrant RPE signaling, whereas treatment resistance may be characterized by an abnormality of a non-dopaminergic mechanism - a glutamatergic mechanism would be a possible candidate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy D Vanes
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,de Crespigny Park,London, SE5 8AF,UK
| | - Elias Mouchlianitis
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,de Crespigny Park,London, SE5 8AF,UK
| | - Tracy Collier
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,de Crespigny Park,London, SE5 8AF,UK
| | - Bruno B Averbeck
- Unit on Learning and Decision Making, Laboratory of Neuropsychology,NIMH,NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892,USA
| | - Sukhi S Shergill
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience,de Crespigny Park,London, SE5 8AF,UK
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Mullins PG. Towards a theory of functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS): A meta-analysis and discussion of using MRS to measure changes in neurotransmitters in real time. Scand J Psychol 2018; 59:91-103. [PMID: 29356002 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful tool to investigate neurochemistry and physiology in vivo. Recently researchers have started to use MRS to measure neurotransmitter changes related to neural activity, so called functional MRS (fMRS). Particular interest has been placed on measuring glutamate changes associated with neural function, but differences are reported in the size of changes seen. This review discusses fMRS, and includes meta-analyses of the relative size of glutamate changes seen in fMRS, and the impact experimental design and stimulus paradigm may have. On average glutamate was found to increase by 6.97% (±1.739%) in response to neural activation. However, factors of experimental design may have a large impact on the size of these changes. For example an increase of 4.749% (±1.45%) is seen in block studies compared to an increase of 13.429% (±3.59) in studies using event related paradigms. The stimulus being investigated also seems to play a role with prolonged visual stimuli showing a small mean increase in glutamate of 2.318% (±1.227%) while at the other extreme, pain stimuli show a mean stimulation effect of 14.458% (±3.736%). These differences are discussed with regards to possible physiologic interpretations, as well experimental design implications.
Collapse
|
41
|
Task-based metabolic changes in the left dorsolateral prefrontal region during the letter N-back working memory task using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Neuroreport 2018; 29:147-152. [PMID: 29215468 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000000943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies have consistently provided evidence on the role of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in working memory. Recent studies have shown that the changes in metabolites in the brain could be detected upon functional activation using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Therefore, we carried out a study in healthy control participants to understand the changes in metabolites during a letter N-back working memory task in the left dorsolateral prefrontal region. Single-voxel spectra were acquired from the left dorsolateral prefrontal region in 10 healthy control participants. The concentrations of metabolites were measured using a point-resolved spectroscopy sequence at three different time points, namely, before, during, and after the performance of the task. Repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated a main effect of time for glutamate concentrations and not for other metabolites. The healthy control participants showed a significant increase in glutamate concentrations during the performance of the letter N-back task. It was then followed by a significant decrease in the glutamate concentrations returning to the baseline after the task. The proposed method would be useful in understanding the dynamic changes in glutamate during the letter N-back task to examine the cognitive impairment in various neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
|
42
|
Jelen LA, King S, Mullins PG, Stone JM. Beyond static measures: A review of functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy and its potential to investigate dynamic glutamatergic abnormalities in schizophrenia. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:497-508. [PMID: 29368979 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117747579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Abnormalities of the glutamate system are increasingly implicated in schizophrenia but their exact nature remains unknown. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), while fundamental in revealing glutamatergic alterations in schizophrenia, has, until recently, been significantly limited and thought to only provide static measures. Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS), which uses sequential scans for dynamic measurement of a range of brain metabolites in activated brain areas, has lately been applied to a variety of task or stimulus conditions, producing interesting insights into neurometabolite responses to neural activation. Here, we summarise the existing 1H-MRS studies of brain glutamate in schizophrenia. We then present a comprehensive review of research studies that have utilised fMRS, and lastly consider how fMRS methods might further the understanding of glutamatergic abnormalities in schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke A Jelen
- 1 The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.,2 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - Sinead King
- 1 The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Paul G Mullins
- 3 Bangor Imaging Unit, School of Psychology, Bangor University, Gwynedd, UK
| | - James M Stone
- 1 The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Sedlak TW, Nucifora LG, Koga M, Shaffer LS, Higgs C, Tanaka T, Wang AM, Coughlin JM, Barker PB, Fahey JW, Sawa A. Sulforaphane Augments Glutathione and Influences Brain Metabolites in Human Subjects: A Clinical Pilot Study. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2018; 3:214-222. [PMID: 29888232 PMCID: PMC5981770 DOI: 10.1159/000487639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders await mechanism-associated interventions. Excess oxidative stress is increasingly appreciated to participate in the pathophysiology of brain disorders, and decreases in the major antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), have been reported in multiple studies. Technical cautions regarding the estimation of oxidative stress-related changes in the brain via imaging techniques have led investigators to explore peripheral GSH as a possible pathological signature of oxidative stress-associated brain changes. In a preclinical model of GSH deficiency, we found a correlation between whole brain and peripheral GSH levels. We found that the naturally occurring isothiocyanate sulforaphane increased blood GSH levels in healthy human subjects following 7 days of daily oral administration. In parallel, we explored the potential influence of sulforaphane on brain GSH levels in the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus via 7-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A significant positive correlation between blood and thalamic GSH post- and pre-sulforaphane treatment ratios was observed, in addition to a consistent increase in brain GSH levels in response to treatment. This clinical pilot study suggests the value of exploring relationships between peripheral GSH and clinical/neuropsychological measures, as well as the influences sulforaphane has on functional measures that are altered in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Sedlak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Leslie G. Nucifora
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Minori Koga
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lindsay S. Shaffer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Cecilia Higgs
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Teppei Tanaka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anna M. Wang
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Coughlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter B. Barker
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jed W. Fahey
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Duarte JMN, Xin L. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Schizophrenia: Evidence for Glutamatergic Dysfunction and Impaired Energy Metabolism. Neurochem Res 2018; 44:102-116. [PMID: 29616444 PMCID: PMC6345729 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-018-2521-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In the past couple of decades, major efforts were made to increase reliability of metabolic assessments by magnetic resonance methods. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been valuable for providing in vivo evidence and investigating biomarkers in neuropsychiatric disorders, namely schizophrenia. Alterations of glutamate and glutamine levels in brains of schizophrenia patients relative to healthy subjects are generally interpreted as markers of glutamatergic dysfunction. However, only a small fraction of MRS-detectable glutamate is involved in neurotransmission. Here we review and discuss brain metabolic processes that involve glutamate and that are likely to be implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João M N Duarte
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, BMC C11, Sölvegatan 19, 221 84, Lund, Sweden. .,Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Lijing Xin
- Animal Imaging and Technology Core (AIT), Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Stanley JA, Raz N. Functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: The "New" MRS for Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychiatry Research. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:76. [PMID: 29593585 PMCID: PMC5857528 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) is a well-established technique for quantifying the brain regional biochemistry in vivo. In most studies, however, the 1H MRS is acquired during rest with little to no constraint on behavior. Measured metabolite levels, therefore, reflect steady-state concentrations whose associations with behavior and cognition are unclear. With the recent advances in MR technology-higher-field MR systems, robust acquisition techniques and sophisticated quantification methods-1H MRS is now experiencing a resurgence. It is sensitive to task-related and pathology-relevant regional dynamic changes in neurotransmitters, including the most ubiquitous among them, glutamate. Moreover, high temporal resolution approaches allow tracking glutamate modulations at a time scale of under a minute during perceptual, motor, and cognitive tasks. The observed task-related changes in brain glutamate are consistent with new metabolic steady states reflecting the neural output driven by shifts in the local excitatory and inhibitory balance on local circuits. Unlike blood oxygen level differences-base functional MRI, this form of in vivo MRS, also known as functional MRS (1H fMRS), yields a more direct measure of behaviorally relevant neural activity and is considerably less sensitive to vascular changes. 1H fMRS enables noninvasive investigations of task-related glutamate changes that are relevant to normal and impaired cognitive performance, and psychiatric disorders. By targeting brain glutamate, this approach taps into putative neural correlates of synaptic plasticity. This review provides a concise survey of recent technological advancements that lay the foundation for the successful use of 1H fMRS in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychiatry, including a review of seminal 1H fMRS studies, and the discussion of biological significance of task-related changes in glutamate modulation. We conclude with a discussion of the promises, limitations, and outstanding challenges of this new tool in the armamentarium of cognitive neuroscience and psychiatry research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Stanley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Naftali Raz
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.,Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.,Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Woodcock EA, Anand C, Khatib D, Diwadkar VA, Stanley JA. Working Memory Modulates Glutamate Levels in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex during 1H fMRS. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:66. [PMID: 29559930 PMCID: PMC5845718 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is involved in excitatory neurotransmission and metabolic processes related to brain function. Previous studies using proton functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H fMRS) have demonstrated elevated cortical glutamate levels by 2-4% during visual and motor stimulation, relative to periods of no stimulation. Here, we extended this approach to working memory cognitive task performance, which has been consistently associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) activation. Sixteen healthy adult volunteers completed a continuous visual fixation "rest" task followed by a letter 2-back working memory task during 1H fMRS acquisition of the left dlPFC, which encompassed Brodmann areas 45 and 46 over a 4.5-cm3 volume. Using a 100% automated fitting procedure integrated with LCModel, raw spectra were eddy current-, phase-, and shift-corrected prior to quantification resulting in a 32s temporal resolution or 8 averages per spectra. Task compliance was high (95 ± 11% correct) and the mean Cramer-Rao Lower Bound of glutamate was 6.9 ± 0.9%. Relative to continuous passive visual fixation, left dlPFC glutamate levels were significantly higher by 2.7% (0.32 mmol/kg wet weight) during letter 2-back performance. Elevated dlPFC glutamate levels reflect increased metabolic activity and excitatory neurotransmission driven by working memory-related cognitive demands. These results provide the first in vivo demonstration of elevated dlPFC glutamate levels during working memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Woodcock
- Brain Imaging Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Chaitali Anand
- Brain Imaging Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Dalal Khatib
- Brain Imaging Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Brain Imaging Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Jeffrey A Stanley
- Brain Imaging Research Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and its Clinical Applications: A Review. J Med Imaging Radiat Sci 2017; 48:233-253. [PMID: 31047406 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmir.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In vivo NMR spectroscopy is known as magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). MRS has been applied as both a research and a clinical tool in order to detect visible or nonvisible abnormalities. The adaptability of MRS allows a technique that can probe a wide variety of metabolic uses across different tissues. Although MRS is mostly applied for brain tissue, it can be used for detection, localization, staging, tumour aggressiveness evaluation, and tumour response assessment of breast, prostate, hepatic, and other cancers. In this article, the medical applications of MRS in the brain, including tumours, neural and psychiatric disorder studies, breast, prostate, hepatic, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary investigations have been reviewed.
Collapse
|
48
|
Dauvermann MR, Lee G, Dawson N. Glutamatergic regulation of cognition and functional brain connectivity: insights from pharmacological, genetic and translational schizophrenia research. Br J Pharmacol 2017. [PMID: 28626937 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The pharmacological modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission to improve cognitive function has been a focus of intensive research, particularly in relation to the cognitive deficits seen in schizophrenia. Despite this effort, there has been little success in the clinical use of glutamatergic compounds as procognitive drugs. Here, we review a selection of the drugs used to modulate glutamatergic signalling and how they impact on cognitive function in rodents and humans. We highlight how glutamatergic dysfunction, and NMDA receptor hypofunction in particular, is a key mechanism contributing to the cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia and outline some of the glutamatergic targets that have been tested as putative procognitive targets for this disorder. Using translational research in this area as a leading exemplar, namely, models of NMDA receptor hypofunction, we discuss how the study of functional brain network connectivity can provide new insight into how the glutamatergic system impacts on cognitive function. Future studies characterizing functional brain network connectivity will increase our understanding of how glutamatergic compounds regulate cognition and could contribute to the future success of glutamatergic drug validation. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of Cognition: a Panacea for Neuropsychiatric Disease? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.19/issuetoc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria R Dauvermann
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Graham Lee
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Neil Dawson
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Henning A. Proton and multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the human brain at ultra-high field strength: A review. Neuroimage 2017; 168:181-198. [PMID: 28712992 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) allows for a non-invasive and non-ionizing determination of in vivo tissue concentrations and metabolic turn-over rates of more than 20 metabolites and compounds in the central nervous system of humans. The aim of this review is to give a comprehensive overview about the advantages, challenges and advances of ultra-high field MRS with regard to methodological development, discoveries and applications from its beginnings around 15 years ago up to the current state. The review is limited to human brain and spinal cord application at field strength of 7T and 9.4T and includes all relevant nuclei (1H, 31P, 13C).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anke Henning
- Max Plank Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany; Institute of Physics, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Lv K, Fan YH, Xu L, Xu MS. Brain changes detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in patients with Crohn's disease. World J Gastroenterol 2017; 23:3607-3614. [PMID: 28611513 PMCID: PMC5449417 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i20.3607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic, non-specific granulomatous inflammatory disorder that commonly affects the small intestine and is a phenotype of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). CD is prone to relapse, and its incidence displays a persistent increase in developing countries. However, the pathogenesis of CD is poorly understood, with some studies emphasizing the link between CD and the intestinal microbiota. Specifically, studies point to the brain-gut-enteric microbiota axis as a key player in the occurrence and development of CD. Furthermore, investigations have shown white-matter lesions and neurologic deficits in patients with IBD. Based on these findings, brain activity changes in CD patients have been detected by blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI). BOLD-fMRI functions by detecting a local increase in relative blood oxygenation that results from neurotransmitter activity and thus reflects local neuronal firing rates. Therefore, biochemical concentrations of neurotransmitters or metabolites may change in corresponding brain regions of CD patients. To further study this phenomenon, brain changes of CD patients can be detected non-invasively, effectively and accurately by BOLD-fMRI combined with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). This approach can further shed light on the mechanisms of the occurrence and development of neurological CD. Overall, this paper reviews the current status and prospects on fMRI and MRS for evaluation of patients with CD based on the brain-gut-enteric microbiota axis.
Collapse
|