Antidepressant effect detected on proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in drug-naïve female patients with first-episode major depression.
OBJECTIVE
Recent neuroimaging studies support functional and structural alterations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), particularly on the left side in patients with major depressive disorders (MDD). The aim of the present study was to examine the biochemical characteristics of left DLPFC as measured on proton ((1)H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in patients with drug-naïve first-episode MDD and a healthy control group. A second aim was to assess the effect of antidepressant treatment on the metabolites of DLPFC.


METHODS
Short-echo single-voxel (1)H-MRS was done for the left DLPFC in 17 female drug-free MDD patients (mean age +/- SD, 30.9 +/- 6.9 years) and 13 matched control subjects (mean age +/- SD, 29.1 +/- 6.2 years) and was repeated at 8 weeks following antidepressant treatment.


RESULTS
Comparison of baseline values indicated that there were no significant differences in any of the metabolite ratios (N-acetyl aspartate/creatine [NAA/Cr], myoinositol [Ino]/Cr, and choline [Cho]/Cr) between patients and controls. Significant differences were detected between pre- and post-treatment Ino/Cr ratios (0.67 +/- 0.13, 0.58 +/- 0.22, P = 0.032, respectively), although there was no difference in NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios.


CONCLUSIONS
Although no significant metabolic alterations exist in female patients with drug-naïve first-episode MDD as evaluated on (1)H-MRS, an increase in Ino/Cr was observed following 8-week antidepressant treatment. These findings give rise to the possibility that non-neuronal cells, particularly glial cells that are probably damaged, play a role in the action of antidepressant treatment.
Kaymak
Semra Ulusoy
SU
Psychiatry Clinic, Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. semraulusoytr@yahoo.com
Demir
Başaran
B
Oğuz
Kader Karli
KK
Sentürk
Senem
S
Uluğ
Berna
B
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011522:Protons
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011522:Protons; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline