Age-related changes in anterior cingulate cortex glutamate in schizophrenia: A (1)H MRS Study at 7 Tesla

Allison S Brandt; Paul G Unschuld; Subechhya Pradhan; Issel Anne L Lim; Gregory Churchill; Ashley D Harris; Jun Hua; Peter B Barker; Christopher A Ross; Peter C M van Zijl; Richard A E Edden; Russell L Margolis

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2016.02.017

Age-related changes in anterior cingulate cortex glutamate in schizophrenia: A (1)H MRS Study at 7 Tesla

Schizophr Res. 2016 Apr;172(1-3):101-5. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.02.017. Epub 2016 Feb 28.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
² Laboratory for Aging Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Division of Psychiatry Research and Psychogeriatric Medicine, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
³ Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurology and Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Departments of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurology and Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: rmargoli@jhmi.edu.

Abstract

The extent of age-related changes in glutamate and other neurometabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in individuals with schizophrenia remain unclear. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 7 T, which yields precise measurements of various metabolites and can distinguish glutamate from glutamine, was used to determine levels of ACC glutamate and other metabolites in 24 individuals with schizophrenia and 24 matched controls. Multiple regression analysis revealed that ACC glutamate decreased with age in patients but not controls. No changes were detected in levels of glutamine, N-acetylaspartate, N-acetylaspartylglutamic acid, myo-inositol, GABA, glutathione, total creatine, and total choline. These results suggest that age may be an important modifier of ACC glutamate in schizophrenia.

Keywords: 7T; Anterior cingulate cortex; Glutamate; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Schizophrenia.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aging / metabolism*
Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use
Aspartic Acid / analogs & derivatives
Aspartic Acid / metabolism
Choline / metabolism
Creatine / metabolism
Dipeptides / metabolism
Female
Glutamic Acid / metabolism*
Glutamine / metabolism
Glutathione / metabolism
Gyrus Cinguli / metabolism*
Humans
Inositol / metabolism
Male
Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / instrumentation
Psychotic Disorders / drug therapy
Psychotic Disorders / metabolism*
Schizophrenia / drug therapy
Schizophrenia / metabolism*
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism

Substances

Antipsychotic Agents
Dipeptides
Glutamine
isospaglumic acid
Aspartic Acid
Glutamic Acid
Inositol
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
N-acetylaspartate
Glutathione
Creatine
Choline

Age-related changes in anterior cingulate cortex glutamate in schizophrenia: A (1)H MRS Study at 7 Tesla

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding