Reduced concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and the NAA–creatine ratio in the basal ganglia in bipolar disorder: A study using 3-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Frye, Mark A.; Thomas, M. Albert; Yue, Kenneth; Binesh, Nader; Davanzo, Pablo; Ventura, Joseph; O'Neill, Joseph; Guze, Barry; Curran, John G.; Mintz, Jim

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.11.003

« Previous Next »Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 154, Issue 3 , Pages 259-265, 15 April 2007

Reduced concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and the NAA–creatine ratio in the basal ganglia in bipolar disorder: A study using 3-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Mark A. Frye
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Corresponding author. Mayo Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. Tel.: +1 507 255 1475; fax: +1 507 255 9416.
M. Albert Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Kenneth Yue
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Nader Binesh
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Pablo Davanzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Joseph Ventura
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Joseph O'Neill
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Barry Guze
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
John G. Curran
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jim Mintz
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Received 3 August 2005; received in revised form 19 July 2006; accepted 21 November 2006.

Abstract

The N-acetylaspartate (NAA) peak is prominent in the proton magnetic resonance spectrum and is thought to reflect neuron loss or dysfunction. This study was conducted to explore NAA biochemistry and its clinical correlates in mania. Subjects comprised 16 manic patients and 17 controls who underwent a structured diagnostic interview and ¹H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) acquisition. STEAM ¹H MRS (TR/TE/TM=2000/20/8 ms) was acquired at 3 Tesla from 2×2×2 cm³ voxels in anterior cingulate (AC), right basal ganglia (BG), and left occipital–parietal white matter (OP). Absolute metabolite concentrations and ratios to creatine were calculated using the LC Model. The mean absolute concentrations of NAA and NAA–creatine ratio in the BG were significantly lower in manic subjects than in controls. There was a significant inverse correlation between NAA in the BG and the number of prior hospitalizations for mania. These data suggest BG pathology in mania and that NAA decrements may mark prior manic episode burden. Limitations of this study include small sample size and lack of tissue segmentation. Further study is encouraged to clarify state vs. trait aspects of NAA in bipolar disorder.