[A proton magnetic spectroscopy research on hippocampus metabolisms in people with suicide-attempted depressions].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the metabolic features of hippocampus in people with suicide-attempted depressions.


METHODS
Proton resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was performed on the bilateral hippocampi of 24 patients with suicide-attempted depressions and 24 healthy people. The ratios of N-acetylasparte(NAA)/creatine (Cr), choline(Cho)/Cr and myoinositol(mI)/Cr were calculated and used as markers reflecting the metabolic levels of NAA, Cho and mI. The differences between the patients with suicide-attempted depressions and the healthy people were analyzed. The left hippocampus was also compared with the right to determine the asymmetry of the hippocampus metabolic.


RESULTS
The ratio of NAA/Cr in the left hippocampus of the patients with suicide-attempted depressions was significantly less than that of the healthy control (P < 0.05). The ratio of NAA/Cr in the left hippocampus was significantly greater than in the right hippocampus of the healthy control (P < 0.05). However, the left-right deference of the ratio of NAA/Cr disappeared in the patients with suicide-attempted depressions. There was an asymmetry between the left and right hippocampi in the healthy people (P < 0.05), but not in the patients with suicide-attempted depressions (P > 0.05). No correlations between the metabolic markers and the course of disease, number of episodes and HAMD17 scores were found in the patients with suicide-attempted depressions (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a decrease of metabolite in the left hippocampus of patients with suicide-attempted depressions. The asymmetry of the bilateral hippocampi disappears in the patients with suicide-attempted depressions.
Li
Jin
J
Department of Psychiatry and Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Kuang
Wei-Hong
WH
Zou
Ke
K
Deng
Wei
W
Li
Tao
T
Gong
Qi-Yong
QY
Sun
Xue-Li
XL
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D055815:Young Adult
D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine