Study M348

Study name

Harper DG 2017

Title

Tissue type-specific bioenergetic abnormalities in adults with major depression

Overall design

This study performed a phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) study measuring the energetic metabolites beta-NTP (the beta-phosphate is the unique signature of NTP), phosphocreatine (PCr), and phosphate (Pi) at a 4-Tesla magnetic field strength comparing adult major depressive disorder (MDD) subjects with healthy volunteers. This study recruited subjects with a current diagnosis of MDD, not currently treated with psychotropic medication (depression group, n = 50), and healthy volunteers, matched for age and gender (control group, n = 30). All subjects received a T1 MP-FLASH scan for tissue segmentation followed by 31P MRS, chemical shift imaging scan with 84 voxels of data collected over the entire brain utilizing a dual-tuned, proton-phosphorus coil to minimize subject movement. Phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate (Pi) varied in opposite directions across gray matter and white matter when MDD subjects were compared with controls. For metabolite quantification, the peak area was normalized by the total phosphorous signal.

Study Type

Type1;

Data available

Unavailable

Organism

Human;

Categories of depression

Depressive disorder; Depression; Depression;

Criteria for depression

DSM-IV diagnosed MDD, HAMD-17 >= 16

Sample size

80

Tissue

Central; Brain; White matter;

Central; Brain; Gray matter;

Platform

MRS; MRS: 4-Tesla MR;

PMID

27585738

DOI

10.1038/npp.2016.180

Citation

Harper DG, Jensen JE, Ravichandran C, et al. Tissue type-specific bioenergetic abnormalities in adults with major depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017;42(4):876-85.

Metabolite

Phosphate;

Phosphocreatine;