phosphocreatine and Anorexia-Nervosa

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive impairment and cerebral metabolites in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr), choline-containing compounds, glutamate/glutamine (Glx) and myoinositol were measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) of the left prefrontal cortex. Compared with healthy controls, AN patients displayed a significantly poorer performance in verbal learning and in attentional and executive tasks. Performance in the divided attention task was correlated with NAA and Cr in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while executive functioning and depressive symptomatology were associated with Glx levels in the anterior cingulate. Our results provide evidence for cognitive impairment in AN patients which is associated with cerebral metabolism in the prefrontal cortex.

Topics: Adult; Anorexia Nervosa; Aspartic Acid; Attention; Brain Chemistry; Choline; Cognition; Creatine; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Female; Glutamates; Glutamine; Gyrus Cinguli; Humans; Inositol; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Neuropsychological Tests; Phosphocreatine; Prefrontal Cortex; Psychomotor Performance; Verbal Learning

To investigate whether 31 P-MR spectroscopy can detect reduced concentrations of high-energy phosphates, like PCr and NTP, caused by decreased metabolic activity in the brain of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and, furthermore, whether any impairment of the cerebral membrane metabolism can be derived from the spectra.. 10 female patients, age range 12 - 20 years and mean BMI (body mass index) of 14.8 +/- 1.6 kg/m 2, with clinically diagnosed AN (ICD-10, F50.0) and 10 healthy control subjects, age range 12 - 21 years and mean BMI 19.0 +/- 2.1 kg/m 2, without nutritional disturbances: were investigated. 31P-MR spectroscopy was performed with a 1.5 T MRI unit using single volume selection in the frontal/prefrontal region of brain. Relative metabolic concentrations were quantified by normalizing the peak areas of the metabolites with the total area of the complete phosphorous spectrum, P tot, as well as with the peak area of beta-NTP.. Significant differences between the two groups were observed for the metabolic ratios PDE/P tot, PDE/beta-NTP and alpha-NTP/P tot which were lower in the patient group except for alpha-NTP/P tot. These ratios also revealed a statistically significant correlation with the BMI (r PDE/Ptot = 0.747, r PDE/beta-NTP = 0.57, r alpha-NTP/Ptot = -0.56; p

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anorexia Nervosa; Body Mass Index; Brain; Child; Confidence Intervals; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Energy Metabolism; Esters; Female; Fourier Analysis; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Models, Theoretical; Phosphates; Phosphocreatine; Polyphosphates; Software; Weight Loss

The neurophysiological and neuromorphological changes in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) are well-known but the reason of both is still unknown. We have evaluated the usefulness of hydrogen (H1) magnetic resonance spectroscopy in anorexia nervosa.. We investigated 15 patients with clinically diagnosed AN (ICD F50.0) and 17 controls without eating disorders. The body mass index (BMI) was 15.8 and 21, respectively. The spectroscopy was recorded on two voxels in the parieto-occipital white matter or in the thalamus with a water-suppressed STEAM-sequence. The metabolites were recorded with respect to phosphocreatine (PCr).. The ratio of NAA/PCr in both voxels were not significantly different when comparing patients vs. controls. Patients showed significantly higher ratios of choline-containing components (Cho) or, respectively Cho/PCr and NAA/PCr in the white matter. Distinct, but not significant differences were detected both for m-Ino and m-Ino/PCr in the parieto-occipital region and for the Cho- and m-Ino contained ratios in the thalamus.. AN is not associated with neuronal damage. The ratio of Cho/PCr and NAA/Cho may reflect the disturbance of membrane-turnover. It is possible that the increase of membrane catabolism leads to a hyperosmolar state. The change of m-Ino/PCr ratio may reflect the regulation of osmolarity.

Topics: Anorexia Nervosa; Aspartic Acid; Body Mass Index; Choline; Female; Humans; Inositol; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Occipital Lobe; Parietal Lobe; Phosphocreatine; Thalamus