Preclinical ¹ H-Mrs Neurochemical Profiling in Neurological And Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

The ongoing development of animal models of neurological and psychiatric disorders in combination with the development of advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques and instrumentation has led to increased use of in vivo proton NMR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) for neurochemical analyses. 1H-MRS is one of only a few analytical methods that can assay in vivo and longitudinal neurochemical changes associated with neurological and psychiatric diseases, with the added advantage of being a technique that can be utilized in both preclinical and clinical studies. In this review, recent progress in the use of 1H-MRS to investigate animal models of neurological and psychiatric disorders is summarized with examples from the literature and our own work.

Aripiprazole and Riluzole treatment alters behavior and neurometabolites in young ADHD rats: a longitudinal 1H-NMR spectroscopy study at 11.7T

“…By this, even subtle concentration changes can be detected that might have a potential pathophysiological significance for brain development. 20 , 21 …”

High-field proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals metabolic effects of normal brain aging

“…In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) allows noninvasive quantification of neurochemicals related to specific cellular mechanisms. These neurochemicals can serve as imaging biomarkers of cellular and molecular changes, both in the context of normal brain development and aging, and under pathologic conditions (Harris et al, 2012; Lee et al, 2012; Tkac et al, 2003). For example, N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is synthesized in neuronal mitochondria in an energy-dependent manner, so a decrease in NAA may indicate neuronal loss or metabolic dysfunction.…”

Moderate relationships between NAA and cognitive ability in healthy adults: implications for cognitive spectroscopy

“…The use of 1 H-MRS as a prognostic and diagnostic tool is well established (Danielsen and Ross, 1999 ; Burlina et al, 2000 ; Tran et al, 2009 ; Lee et al, 2012 ). Changes in the 1 H-MRS spectrum reflect general pathology, such as demyelination or ischemia, and is associated with an array of neurological conditions, such as brain tumors (Hollingworth et al, 2006 ; Hou and Hu, 2009 ) multiple sclerosis (Gonzalez-Toledo et al, 2006 ; de Stefano and Filippi, 2007 ), traumatic brain injury (Marino et al, 2011 ), and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's (Kantarci, 2007 ; Loos et al, 2010 ) and Parkinson's disease (Firbank et al, 2002 ; Rango et al, 2007 ).…”