title: Neurometabolic abnormalities in schizophrenia and depression observed with magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7 T.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Examining neurometabolic abnormalities in critical brain areas in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD) may help guide future pharmacological interventions including glutamate-modulating treatments.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure metabolite concentrations within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and thalamus of people with schizophrenia and people with MDD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spectra were acquired from 16 volunteers with schizophrenia, 17 with MDD and 18 healthy controls using magnetic resonance spectroscopy on a 7 Tesla scanner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the thalamus, there were lower glycine concentrations in the schizophrenia group relative to control (P=0.017) and MDD groups (P=0.012), and higher glutamine concentrations relative to healthy controls (P=0.009). In the thalamus and the ACC, the MDD group had lowermyo-inositol concentrations than the control (P=0.014,P=0.009, respectively) and schizophrenia (P=0.004,P=0.002, respectively) groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support the glutamatergic theory of schizophrenia and indicate a potential glycine deficiency in the thalamus. In addition, reducedmyo-inositol concentrations in MDD suggest its involvement in the disorder.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  None.
  © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license.
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Reggie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: , MD, Department of Medical Biophysics; Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Osuch
authors.affiliation: , BSc, Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Nagalingam
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authors.lastname: Rajakumar
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Department of Psychology; Department of Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Richard W J
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Neufeld
authors.affiliation: , PhD, Department of Medical Biophysics, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; St. Joseph's Health Care, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Théberge
authors.affiliation: , MD, Department of Medical Biophysics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Williamson