title: Increased orbitofrontal cortex levels of choline in depressed adolescents as detected by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The frontal lobe has been implicated in the pathology of depression in adults. Through the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, altered brain choline levels have also been linked to the pathophysiology of affective disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  To identify possible alterations in orbitofrontal cortex levels of cytosolic choline in adolescents with and without depression, 22 depressed and 43 control adolescents were recruited. Of those recruited, usable proton magnetic resonance spectra were acquired from a voxel in the left anterior medial frontal lobe of 17 depressed (mean age 15.8+/-1.6) and 28 healthy adolescents (mean age 14.5+/-1.7).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Orbitofrontal cytosolic choline/creatine (Cho/Cr) ratios (p =.032) and cytosolic choline/N-acetyl aspartate (Cho/NAA) ratios (p =.043) were significantly higher in the depressed subjects than in the control subjects. There were no significant differences between depressed and control subjects in gray or white matter content within the voxel.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that brain cytosolic choline may be increased in depressed adolescents in comparison with control subjects and independent of a corresponding structural change. These results are consistent with similar, previously reported findings in adults and suggest that depression in adolescents is associated with alterations in orbitofrontal metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Consolidated Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Steingard
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Yurgelun-Todd
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hennen
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vakili
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katic
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Beardslee
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Renshaw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism*; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline