title: Neurochemical alterations in anterior cingulate cortex in bipolar disorder: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study (1H-MRS).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine neurochemical alterations in bipolar disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated a group of 27 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (with manic and mixed episodes, depression and after remission of symptoms) and 10 healthy subjects. MR imaging and 1H-MRS were performed on a 1.5 T scanner. Voxels of 8 cm3 were positioned in the anterior cingulate, left frontal lobe and left temporal lobe. Spectral peaks of NAA (N-acetylaspartate), Glx (glutamate/glutamine/GABA complex), Cho (choline), Cr (creatine/phosphocreatine) and mI (myo-inositol) were analyzed and the ratios of these metabolites to creatine (Cr) and non-suppressed water signal were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the anterior cingulate cortex of patients with bipolar disorder a significantly higher Cho/H2O ratio (p = 0.029) and a trend toward higher Cho/Cr ratio values (p = 0.096) were observed as compared to healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of our study prove that neurochemical changes occurring in the anterior cingulate cortex of bipolar patients are related to altered choline levels.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Psychiatrii UM w Białymstoku.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galińska-Skok
authors.affiliation: Klinika Psychiatrii UM w Białymstoku.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Konarzewska
authors.affiliation: Zakład Radiologii UM w Białymstoku.
authors.forename: Bożena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kubas
authors.affiliation: Zakład Radiologii UM w Białymstoku.
authors.forename: Eugeniusz
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tarasów
authors.affiliation: Klinika Psychiatrii UM w Białymstoku.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szulc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010725:Phosphocreatine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C025403:phosphocreatinine; C000179:N-acetylaspartate
keywords: bipolar disorder; cingulate gyrus; proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy