title: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed differences in the glutamate + glutamine/creatine ratio of the anterior cingulate cortex between healthy and pediatric post-traumatic stress disorder patients diagnosed after 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Earthquakes always leave many surviving teenagers suffering from various mental problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We studied the metabolites in current and remitted pediatric PTSD patients and healthy controls after an earthquake, aiming to find the neurochemistry differences in these teenagers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H-MRS) was performed in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of 21 healthy, 10 PTSD and 23 remitted subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly lower glutamate + glutamine/creatine (Glx/Cr) levels in the ACC (1.15 ± 0.14 vs 1.37 ± 0.08, P = 0.047) were found in PTSD subjects relative to remitted subjects; and significantly lower Glx/Cr levels in the ACC (1.37 ± 0.08 vs 1.59 ± 0.10, P = 0.045) were found in remitted subjects relative to healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings imply that the Glx/Cr ratio in the ACC can be used to differentiate not only between healthy and pediatric PTSD patients, but also between the current and remitted phases of pediatric PTSD. The changes in the Glx/Cr ratio may be caused by brain dysfunction in the current phase and recovery in the remitted phase.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological & Medical Physics and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- & Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.|Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological & Medical Physics and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- & Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zu-Lai
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological & Medical Physics and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- & Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological & Medical Physics and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- & Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Jie
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Huaxi MR Research Center, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Qi-Yong
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D003401:Creatine
keywords: anterior cingulate cortex; glutamate and glutamine; neuroimage; pediatric post-traumatic stress disorder; proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy