title: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals N-acetylaspartate reduction in hippocampus and cingulate cortex after fear conditioning.
abstract: The fear conditioning in rodents provides a valuable translational tool to investigate the neural basis of learning and memory and potentially the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Neurobiological changes induced by fear conditioning have largely been examined ex vivo while progressive 'real-time' changes in vivo remain under-explored. Single voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) of the hippocampus, cingulate cortex and thalamus of adult male C57BL/6N mice (N=12) was performed at 1 day before, 1 day and 1 week after, fear conditioning training using a 7T scanner. N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a marker for neuronal integrity and viability, significantly decreased in the hippocampus at 1 day and 1 week post-conditioning. Significant NAA reduction was also observed in the cingulate cortex at 1 day post-conditioning. These findings of hippocampal NAA decrease indicate reduced neuronal dysfunction and/or neuronal integrity, contributing to the trauma-related PTSD-like symptoms. The neurochemical changes characterized by 1H MRS can shed light on the biochemical mechanisms of learning and memory. Moreover, such information can potentially facilitate prompt intervention for patients with psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Iris Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Abby Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Grainne M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: McAlonan
authors.forename: Ed X
authors.initials: EX
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002794:Choline; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003401:Creatine; D003463:Cues; D005239:Fear; D046352:Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014316:Tritium; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline