Contributions of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to understanding development: Potential applications in the study of adolescent alcohol use and abuse

Abstract

A growing body of research has documented structural and functional brain development during adolescence, yet little is known about neurochemical changes that occur during this important developmental period. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a well-developed technology that permits the in vivo quantification of multiple brain neurochemicals relevant to neuronal health and functioning. However, MRS technology has been underused in exploring normative developmental changes during adolescence, and the onset of alcohol and drug use and abuse during this developmental period. This review begins with a brief overview of normative cognitive and neurobiological development during adolescence, followed by an introduction to MRS principles. The subsequent sections provide a comprehensive review of the existing MRS studies of development and cognitive functioning in healthy children and adolescents. The final sections of this article address the potential application of MRS in identifying neurochemical predictors and consequences of alcohol use and abuse in adolescence. MRS studies of adolescent populations hold promise for advancing our understanding of neurobiological risk factors for psychopathology by identifying the biochemical signatures associated with healthy brain development, as well as neurobiological and cognitive correlates of alcohol and substance use and abuse.

Impact of family history of alcoholism on glutamine/glutamate ratio in anterior cingulate cortex in substance-naïve adolescents

“…Interpretation of these findings is rendered more difficult by the dearth of existing developmental MRS data in healthy populations ( Cohen-Gilbert et al, 2014 ). To date, only five studies of healthy development, all cross-sectional, report Glu and Gln metabolites, resolved using advanced spectral acquisition methods applied at high field and quantified independently, as opposed to quantifying a GLX resonance that combines these important glutamatergic components as one single peak ( Gleich et al, 2014 , Grachev and Apkarian, 2000 , Hadel et al, 2013 , Kaiser et al, 2005 ).…”

“…Importantly, taking FH status into account reveals larger effect sizes than when FH− and FH+ individuals are grouped together. Further, while there have been more than 35 MRS studies published investigating alcohol-related consequences on neurometabolites in alcohol abusing and dependent adult populations ( Meyerhoff et al, 2013 , Meyerhoff et al, 2014 , Sullivan and Pfefferbaum, 2014 ), no studies published to date have examined neurochemistry using MRS in adolescents with either significant alcohol use histories or alcohol use disorders, or investigating the role of FH status ( Cohen-Gilbert et al, 2014 ).…”

Effect of alcohol use on the adolescent brain and behavior

“…Cross-species findings show comparability in effects of alcohol use on the adolescent brain and behavior, and novel experimental rodent studies on the consequences of alcohol use can guide future work in human adolescents. For instance, researchers are now focused on quantification of various neurochemicals and transmitters in the brain measured through Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS; (151). Understanding such neurochemical changes could help us better understand the neurobiological effects of substance use, the mechanisms of change, and alterations incurred through psychotherapy or pharmacological treatment.…”

Neurobiological signatures associated with alcohol and drug use in the human adolescent brain

“…Arterial spin labeling (ASL) also is a functional technique, used to quantify cerebral perfusion (Petersen et al, 2006). Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is used to acquire signals from nuclei capable of producing a resonance signal, such as hydrogen protons ( 1 H), to determine relative metabolite concentrations (Cohen-Gilbert et al, 2014). Metabolites assessed in 1 H MRS are N-acetyl Aspartate (NAA, marker of neuronal integrity), choline (Cho, cellular synthesis and degradation), creatine + phosphocreatine (Cr + PCr, markers of cellular energetic state), myo-Inositol (ml, phospholipid metabolism and maintenance of osmotic equilibrium), glutathione (GSH, oxidative stress), and glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln) and GABA (amino acid neurotransmitters, involved in cellular metabolism).…”