¹H-MRS Analysis for Prefrontal Cortex, Hippocampus and Thalamus of Adolescent Patients with Depression

Objective: To explore the change of neural biochemical metabolite level in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and thalamus of adolescent patients with depression. Methods: ¹H-MRS technology was utilized to quantitatively analyze the levels of NAA, Cho, Glx, (Cr2, Cr) and mI in the cerebrum. Results: Compared with control group, the NAA/Cr values of depression group both in bilateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus tissue were much lower (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The Cho/Cr values of depression group in bilateral prefrontal cortex were higher (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The Glx/Cr values of right frontal lobe and right hippocampus were lower (P < 0.05), and the differences were significant. The mI/Cr values of right hippocampus were higher (P < 0.05). Comparison of all the metabolite levels in thalamus between the depression group and control group, the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were the main affected parts during the process of disease for adolescent patients with depression. And NAA had the most significantly positive relation with depression. ¹H-MRS could obtain enough neurochemical change information from the body with the non-invasive method when depression occurs, which provides a new research thought for the micro change in brain tissue of adolescent depression patient in essence.