title: Elevated cortical glutamate in young people at increased familial risk of depression.
abstract: Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), we have demonstrated regional abnormalities in cortical γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate in medication-free recovered depressed patients. It is unclear whether these changes represent an underlying trait vulnerability to depression, or an after-effect of episodes of illness or its treatment. We sought to examine this question by examining a group of high-risk, never-depressed, individuals. We used MRS to measure GABA and glutamate in parieto-occipital cortex in young people (ages 16-21 yr) with a family history of parental depression (n=24) but no personal history of illness and a control group without a history of depression in any first-degree relative (n=28). Participants with a parental history of depression had significantly higher levels of glutamate than controls in parieto-occipital cortex (F₁,₄₇=5.5, p=0.02). These findings suggest that abnormalities in glutamate neurotransmission may reflect a trait marker of vulnerability to depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK. matthew.taylor@psych.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Zola N
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Mannie
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Norbury
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Near
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cowen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry*; D003863:Depression; D003866:Depressive Disorder; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000737:chemistry; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid