Abstract
BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most commonly encountered psychiatric disorders in daily medical practice. Severity of depression may relate to thalamic neurochemical metabolic changes. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) can give an idea about the mechanisms that possibly underlie MDD and the response to therapy. Aim of the workTo detect the possible neurochemical metabolic changes that may occur in both thalami of patients with MDD by multivoxel 1H-MRS of the brain. Materials and methodsForty-three drug-naïve patients with MDD and 15 age- and sex-matched normal controls were subjected to brain imaging with multivoxel 1.5T 1H-MRS for measuring the NAA/Cho, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, mI/NAA and mI/Cr ratios in the thalamus bilaterally. The severity of depression was assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). ResultsPatients with MDD showed a significant decrease in the NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios in both thalami compared to normal controls (P<0.05). Also, the severity of depression was significantly associated with decreased thalamic NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios. ConclusionThe multi-voxel 1H-MRS can provide an insight to the neurochemical metabolic changes occurring in both thalami in patients with MDD. Increased severity of depression is significantly related to these thalamic neurochemical changes.
Published Version
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