Early life socioeconomic status, chronic physiological stress and hippocampal N-acetyl aspartate concentrations.
OBJECTIVE
Early life socioeconomic deprivation has been associated with cognitive and behavioural changes that persist through towards adulthood. In this study, we investigated whether early life socioeconomic status is associated with changes in the hippocampus N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), using the non-invasive technique of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).


METHODS
We performed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) of the hippocampus at 3T in 30 adult males, selected from the PSOBID cohort. We conducted multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between early socioeconomic status (SES) and concentration of N-acetyl-aspartate in the hippocampus. We also examined whether the relationship between these variables was mediated by markers of chronic physiological stress.


RESULTS
Greater socioeconomic deprivation was associated with lower hippocampal NAA concentrations bilaterally. The relationship between early life SES and hippocampal NAA concentrations was mediated by allostatic load index - a marker of chronic physiological stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Greater early life socioeconomic deprivation was associated with lower concentrations of NAA reflecting lesser neuronal integrity. This relationship was mediated by greater physiological stress. Further work, to better understand the biological processes underlying the effects of poverty, physiological stress on hippocampal metabolites is necessary.
Sackler Institute of Psychobiological Research, Institute of Health and Wellbeing University of Glasgow, Glasgow G51 4TF, Scotland, United Kingdom. johnmclean@nhs.net
John
J
McLean
Rajeev
R
Krishnadas
G David
GD
Batty
Harry
H
Burns
Kevin A
KA
Deans
Ian
I
Ford
Alex
A
McConnachie
Agnes
A
McGinty
Jennifer S
JS
McLean
Keith
K
Millar
Naveed
N
Sattar
Paul G
PG
Shiels
Carol
C
Tannahill
Yoga N
YN
Velupillai
Chris J
CJ
Packard
Barrie R
BR
Condon
Donald M
DM
Hadley
Jonathan
J
Cavanagh
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D015850:Interleukin-6; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; C000179:N-acetylaspartate