A review of altered biochemistry in the anterior cingulate cortex of first-episode psychosis

Abstract

This Section of Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences appears in each issue of the Journal to stress the relevance of epidemiology for behavioral neurosciences, reporting the results of studies that explore the use of an epidemiological approach to provide a better understanding of the neural basis of major psychiatric disorders and, in turn, the utilisation of the behavioural neurosciences for promoting innovative epidemiological research.The ultimate aim is to help the translation of most relevant research findings into every-day clinical practice. These contributions are written in house by the journal's editorial team or commissioned by the Section Editor (no more than 1000 words, short unstructured abstract, 4 key-words, one Table or Relevant biochemicals of the brain can be quantified in vivo, non-invasively, using proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (¹H MRS). This includes metabolites associated with neural general functioning, energetics, membrane phospholipid metabolism and neurotransmission. Moreover, there is substantial evidence of implication of the frontal and prefrontal areas in the pathogenesis of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. In particular, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays an important role in cognitive control of emotional and non-emotional processes. Thus the study of its extent of biochemistry dysfunction in the early stages of psychosis is of particular interest in gaining a greater understanding of its aetiology. In this review, we selected ¹H MRS studies focused on the ACC of first-episode psychosis (FEP). Four studies reported increased glutamatergic levels in FEP, while other four showed preserved concentrations. Moreover, findings on FEP do not fully mirror those in chronic patients. Due to conflicting findings, larger longitudinal ¹H MRS studies are expected to further explore glutamatergic neurotransmission in ACC of FEP in order to have a better understanding of the glutamatergic mechanisms underlying psychosis, possibly using ultra high field MR scanners.

Changes in the anterior cingulate cortex in Crohn’s disease: A neuroimaging perspective

“…1 H‐MRS is the sole imaging method used to quantify localized metabolites or neurotransmitters, such as glutamine, glutamate (Glu), and gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) (Squarcina et al., 2017). The results are often expressed as ratios relative to creatine (Jansen et al., 2006).…”

Common and Distinct Alterations of Cognitive Function and Brain Structure in Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Study

“…Our findings are consistent with previous reports that have shown that the reductions of GMV in parts of the prefrontal and cingulate were specifically related to SCZ ( 66 , 67 ). The ACC has been reported to play a crucial role in pathophysiology of SCZ ( 68 ). A recent study suggested that the decreased perfusion in the ACC might be related to the development of delusions in SCZ ( 69 ).…”

Gray matter differences between affective and non-affective first episode psychosis: A review of Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies

“…Additionally, two studies observed smaller GM volumes in cingulate gyrus in NA-FEP (Koo et al, 2008) and A-FEP (Morgan et al, 2007) compared to healthy controls, whereas no significant differences were found between the two patient groups. The cingulate gyrus is a cortical area often found to be implicated in BD and SCZ (Baiano et al, 2007;Crow et al, 2013;Maggioni et al, 2016;Squarcina et al, 2017b) due to its involvement in a range of functions, including emotional, cognitive, attentional, nociceptive, and motor functions (Mesulam et al, 2001).…”