Spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled study
Abstract Background The main aim of the present study is to determine the role of metabolites observed using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As the literature describing biochemical changes in OCD yields conflicting results, we focused on accur...
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BMC
2023-10-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05228-3 |
| _version_ | 1797557354441474048 |
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| author | Eliška Kosová Dita Pajuelo Iveta Fajnerová David Greguš Martin Brunovský Pavla Stopková Antonín Škoch Petra Fürstová Filip Španiel Jiří Horáček |
| author_facet | Eliška Kosová Dita Pajuelo Iveta Fajnerová David Greguš Martin Brunovský Pavla Stopková Antonín Škoch Petra Fürstová Filip Španiel Jiří Horáček |
| author_sort | Eliška Kosová |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The main aim of the present study is to determine the role of metabolites observed using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As the literature describing biochemical changes in OCD yields conflicting results, we focused on accurate metabolite quantification of total N-acetyl aspartate (tNAA), total creatine (tCr), total choline-containing compounds (tCh), and myo-inositol (mI) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to capture the small metabolic changes between OCD patients and controls and between OCD patients with and without medication. Methods In total 46 patients with OCD and 46 healthy controls (HC) matched for age and sex were included in the study. The severity of symptoms in the OCD was evaluated on the day of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS). Subjects underwent 1H-MRS from the pregenual ACC (pgACC) region to calculate concentrations of tNAA, tCr, tCho, and mI. Twenty-eight OCD and 28 HC subjects were included in the statistical analysis. We compared differences between groups for all selected metabolites and in OCD patients we analyzed the relationship between metabolite levels and symptom severity, medication status, age, and the duration of illness. Results Significant decreases in tCr (U = 253.00, p = 0.022) and mI (U = 197.00, p = 0.001) in the pgACC were observed in the OCD group. No statistically significant differences were found in tNAA and tCho levels; however, tCho revealed a trend towards lower concentrations in OCD patients (U = 278.00, p = 0.062). Metabolic concentrations showed no significant correlations with the age and duration of illness. The correlation statistics found a significant negative correlation between tCr levels and YBOCS compulsions subscale (cor = -0.380, p = 0.046). tCho and YBOCS compulsions subscale showed a trend towards a negative correlation (cor = -0.351, p = 0.067). Analysis of subgroups with or without medication showed no differences. Conclusions Patients with OCD present metabolic disruption in the pgACC. The decrease in tCr shows an important relationship with OCD symptomatology. tCr as a marker of cerebral bioenergetics may also be considered as a biomarker of the severity of compulsions. The study failed to prove that metabolic changes correlate with the medication status or the duration of illness. It seems that a disruption in the balance between these metabolites and their transmission may play a role in the pathophysiology of OCD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:15:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ae8eaf259f246958849e526d69f9d85 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:15:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-1ae8eaf259f246958849e526d69f9d852023-11-20T10:29:11ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2023-10-0123111210.1186/s12888-023-05228-3Spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled studyEliška Kosová0Dita Pajuelo1Iveta Fajnerová2David Greguš3Martin Brunovský4Pavla Stopková5Antonín Škoch6Petra Fürstová7Filip Španiel8Jiří Horáček9National Institute of Mental HealthThird Faculty of Medicine, Charles UniversityNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Mental HealthAbstract Background The main aim of the present study is to determine the role of metabolites observed using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As the literature describing biochemical changes in OCD yields conflicting results, we focused on accurate metabolite quantification of total N-acetyl aspartate (tNAA), total creatine (tCr), total choline-containing compounds (tCh), and myo-inositol (mI) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to capture the small metabolic changes between OCD patients and controls and between OCD patients with and without medication. Methods In total 46 patients with OCD and 46 healthy controls (HC) matched for age and sex were included in the study. The severity of symptoms in the OCD was evaluated on the day of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS). Subjects underwent 1H-MRS from the pregenual ACC (pgACC) region to calculate concentrations of tNAA, tCr, tCho, and mI. Twenty-eight OCD and 28 HC subjects were included in the statistical analysis. We compared differences between groups for all selected metabolites and in OCD patients we analyzed the relationship between metabolite levels and symptom severity, medication status, age, and the duration of illness. Results Significant decreases in tCr (U = 253.00, p = 0.022) and mI (U = 197.00, p = 0.001) in the pgACC were observed in the OCD group. No statistically significant differences were found in tNAA and tCho levels; however, tCho revealed a trend towards lower concentrations in OCD patients (U = 278.00, p = 0.062). Metabolic concentrations showed no significant correlations with the age and duration of illness. The correlation statistics found a significant negative correlation between tCr levels and YBOCS compulsions subscale (cor = -0.380, p = 0.046). tCho and YBOCS compulsions subscale showed a trend towards a negative correlation (cor = -0.351, p = 0.067). Analysis of subgroups with or without medication showed no differences. Conclusions Patients with OCD present metabolic disruption in the pgACC. The decrease in tCr shows an important relationship with OCD symptomatology. tCr as a marker of cerebral bioenergetics may also be considered as a biomarker of the severity of compulsions. The study failed to prove that metabolic changes correlate with the medication status or the duration of illness. It seems that a disruption in the balance between these metabolites and their transmission may play a role in the pathophysiology of OCD.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05228-3Obsessive-compulsive disorderN-acetyl aspartateCholine-containing compoundsCreatineMyo-inositolMagnetic resonance spectroscopy |
| spellingShingle | Eliška Kosová Dita Pajuelo Iveta Fajnerová David Greguš Martin Brunovský Pavla Stopková Antonín Škoch Petra Fürstová Filip Španiel Jiří Horáček Spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled study BMC Psychiatry Obsessive-compulsive disorder N-acetyl aspartate Choline-containing compounds Creatine Myo-inositol Magnetic resonance spectroscopy |
| title | Spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled study |
| title_full | Spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled study |
| title_fullStr | Spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled study |
| title_short | Spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a controlled study |
| title_sort | spectroscopic abnormalities in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive compulsive disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy a controlled study |
| topic | Obsessive-compulsive disorder N-acetyl aspartate Choline-containing compounds Creatine Myo-inositol Magnetic resonance spectroscopy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05228-3 |
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