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Role of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in cerebral glutathione quantification for youth mental health: A systematic review
Author(s) -
Fisher Emily,
Gillam John,
Upthegrove Rachel,
Aldred Sarah,
Wood Stephen J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
early intervention in psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.087
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1751-7893
pISSN - 1751-7885
DOI - 10.1111/eip.12833
Subject(s) - glutathione , oxidative stress , reactive oxygen species , antioxidant , psychological intervention , depression (economics) , chemistry , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , psychology , in vivo , neuroscience , nuclear magnetic resonance , biochemistry , psychiatry , biophysics , biology , enzyme , physics , microbiology and biotechnology , organic chemistry , economics , macroeconomics
Aim Oxidative stress is strongly implicated in many psychiatric disorders, which has resulted in the development of new interventions to attempt to perturb this pathology. A great deal of attention has been paid to glutathione, which is the brain's dominant antioxidant and plays a fundamental role in removing free radicals and other reactive oxygen species. Measurement of glutathione concentration in the brain in vivo can provide information on redox status and potential for oxidative stress to develop. Glutathione might also represent a marker to assess treatment response. Methods This paper systematically reviews studies that assess glutathione concentration (measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy) in various mental health conditions. Results There is limited evidence showing altered brain glutathione concentration in mental disorders; the best evidence suggests glutathione is decreased in depression, but is not altered in bipolar disorder. The review then outlines the various methodological options for acquiring glutathione data using spectroscopy. Conclusions Analysis of the minimum effect size measurable in existing studies indicates that increased number of participants is required to measure subtle but possibly important differences and move the field forward.