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Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed differences in the glutamate + glutamine/creatine ratio of the anterior cingulate cortex between healthy and pediatric post‐traumatic stress disorder patients diagnosed after 2008 W enchuan earthquake
Author(s) -
Yang ZhiYong,
Quan Hong,
Peng ZuLai,
Zhong Yang,
Tan ZhiJie,
Gong QiYong
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.12332
Subject(s) - neurochemistry , anterior cingulate cortex , creatine , glutamine , proton magnetic resonance , glutamate receptor , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , psychology , psychiatry , gastroenterology , neurology , nuclear magnetic resonance , chemistry , cognition , biochemistry , physics , receptor , amino acid , radiology
Aims Earthquakes always leave many surviving teenagers suffering from various mental problems, such as post‐traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ). We studied the metabolites in current and remitted pediatric PTSD patients and healthy controls after an earthquake, aiming to find the neurochemistry differences in these teenagers. Methods Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H‐ MRS ) was performed in the anterior cingulate cortex ( ACC ) of 21 healthy, 10 PTSD and 23 remitted subjects. Results Significantly lower glutamate + glutamine/creatine ( G lx/ C r) levels in the ACC (1.15 ± 0.14 vs 1.37 ± 0.08, P = 0.047) were found in PTSD subjects relative to remitted subjects; and significantly lower G lx/ C r levels in the ACC (1.37 ± 0.08 vs 1.59 ± 0.10, P = 0.045) were found in remitted subjects relative to healthy controls. Conclusions Our findings imply that the G lx/ C r ratio in the ACC can be used to differentiate not only between healthy and pediatric PTSD patients, but also between the current and remitted phases of pediatric PTSD . The changes in the G lx/ C r ratio may be caused by brain dysfunction in the current phase and recovery in the remitted phase.