Table 3.
Controlled In Vivo 1H-MRS Findings for PTSD in Frontal Cortex and Basal Ganglia Metabolites.
| Metabolite | Region | Control | PTSD - control | Citation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontal cortex (non-ACC) | |||||
| NAA/Cr | Frontal periventricular white matter | HC | -- | 68 | |
| NAA/Cr | Left dorsolateral PFC | TEC | -- | 61 | |
| Cho/Cr | Frontal periventricular white matter | HC | -- | 68 | |
| Glu/Gln | Left dorsolateral PFC | TEC | -- | 61 | |
| GABA/Cr | Left dorsolateral PFC | TEC | ↑ | 61 | |
| GSH/Cr | Left dorsolateral PFC | TEC | ↑ | 61 | |
| Frontal cortex (ACC) | |||||
| NAA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | ↓ | 70 | |
| NAA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | ↓ | 58 | |
| NAA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | ↓ | 60 | |
| NAA/Cr | Right anterior cingulate cortex | TEC + AUD + VCb | ↓ | 71 | |
| NAA/Cr | Left anterior cingulate cortex | TEC + AUD + VCb | ↓ | 71 | |
| NAA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 62 | |
| NAA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 61 | |
| NAA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 72 | |
| NAA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 73 | |
| NAA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↑ | 74 | |
| NAA | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | ↓ | 75 | |
| NAA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↓ | 76 | |
| NAA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↓ | 63 | |
| NAA | Right anterior cingulate cortex | TEC + AUD + VCb | ↓ | 71 | |
| NAA | Left anterior cingulate cortex | TEC + AUD + VCb | ↓a | 71 | |
| NAA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↓a | 77 | |
| NAA | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 69 | |
| NAA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| NAA | Anterior cingulate cortex | PTSD + AUD | -- | 77 | |
| Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 69 | |
| Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 75 | |
| Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 77 | |
| Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 74 | |
| Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 76 | |
| Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 63 | |
| Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | PTSD + AUD | -- | 77 | |
| Cho/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | ↑ | 58 | |
| Cho/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↑ | 72 | |
| Cho/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 70 | |
| Cho/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 60 | |
| Cho/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 73 | |
| Cho | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 75 | |
| Cho | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 69 | |
| Cho | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 77 | |
| Cho | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| Cho | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 76 | |
| Cho | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 74 | |
| Cho | Anterior cingulate cortex | PTSD + AUD | ↑ | 77 | |
| mIns/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↑ | 72 | |
| mIns/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 73 | |
| mIns | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 69 | |
| mIns | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 75 | |
| mIns | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 74 | |
| mIns | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 77 | |
| mIns | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| mIns | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 76 | |
| mIns | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 63 | |
| mIns | Anterior cingulate cortex | PTSD + AUD | ↑ | 77 | |
| Glx/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↓ | 73 | |
| Glx | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 74 | |
| Glu | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 69 | |
| Glu | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 77 | |
| Glu | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 76 | |
| Glu | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| Glu | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 63 | |
| Glu | Anterior cingulate cortex | PTSD + AUD | ↑ | 77 | |
| Gln | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | ↓ | 69 | |
| Gln | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| Glu/GABA | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | ↑a | 69 | |
| Glu/GABA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| Glu/Gln | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 69 | |
| Glu/Gln | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 61 | |
| Glu/Gln | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| GABA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↑ | 61 | |
| GABA/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 62 | |
| GABA | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | ↓ | 69 | |
| GABA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 77 | |
| GABA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 76 | |
| GABA | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| GABA | Anterior cingulate cortex | PTSD + AUD | ↓ | 77 | |
| GABA/Gln | Anterior cingulate cortex | HC | -- | 69 | |
| GABA/Gln | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | -- | 69 | |
| GSH/Cr | Anterior cingulate cortex | TEC | ↑ | 61 | |
| Basal ganglia | |||||
| NAA/Cr | Left basal ganglia | HC | ↓ | 68 | |
| Cho/Cr | Left basal ganglia | HC | -- | 68 | |
a
Reported as marginally significant trend.
b
PTSD group also involved AUD + participants.
1H MRS: proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy; PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder; PFC: prefrontal cortex; ACC: anterior cingulate cortex; HC: trauma-unmatched control; TEC: trauma-exposed control; VC: veteran control; AUD: alcohol use disorder: NAA: N-acetyl aspartate; Cr: creatine; Cho: choline; mIns: myoinositol; Glx: glutamate + glutamine; Glu: glutamate; Gln: glutamine; GABA: γ-aminobutyric acid; GSH: glutathione.