Wang Dan, Wang Xuan, Luo Meng-Ting, Wang Hui, Li Yue-Hua
Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Department of Radiology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China.
Front Neurosci. 2019 Aug 20;13:785. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00785. eCollection 2019.
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is associated with the processing of negative emotions. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of mental disorders. We aimed to determine the changes in GABA levels in the ACC of perimenopausal women with depression.
We recruited 120 perimenopausal women, who were followed up for 18-24 months. After reaching menopause, the participants were divided into a control group ( = 71), an anxiety group ( = 30), and a depression group ( = 19). The participants were examined using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). TARQUIN software was used to calculate the GABA concentrations in the ACC before and after menopause. The relationship of the GABA levels with the patients' scores on the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Scale and 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale was determined.
GABA decreased with time. The postmenopausal GABA levels were significantly lower in the depression group than in the anxiety group and were significantly lower in both these groups than in the normal group. The postmenopausal GABA levels were significantly lower than the premenopausal levels in the normal, anxiety, and depression groups ( = 0.014, <0.001, and <0.001, respectively). The premenopausal GABA levels did not significantly differ between the normal vs. anxiety group ( = 0.907), normal vs. depression group ( = 0.495), and anxiety vs. depression group. The postmenopausal GABA levels were significantly lower in the depression group than in the anxiety group and were significantly lower in both these groups than in the normal group, normal vs. anxiety group ( = 0.022), normal vs. depression group ( < 0.001), and anxiety vs. depression group ( = 0.047).
Changes in GABA concentrations in the anterior cingulate cortex are related with the pathophysiological mechanism and symptoms of perimenopausal depression.
前扣带回皮质（ACC）与负性情绪的处理有关。γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）代谢在精神障碍的发病机制中起重要作用。我们旨在确定围绝经期抑郁症女性ACC中GABA水平的变化。
我们招募了120名围绝经期女性，随访18 - 24个月。绝经后，参与者被分为对照组（n = 71）、焦虑组（n = 30）和抑郁组（n = 19）。使用质子磁共振波谱（MRS）对参与者进行检查。使用TARQUIN软件计算绝经前后ACC中的GABA浓度。确定GABA水平与患者在14项汉密尔顿焦虑量表和17项汉密尔顿抑郁量表上得分的关系。
GABA随时间下降。抑郁组绝经后的GABA水平显著低于焦虑组，且这两组均显著低于正常组。正常组、焦虑组和抑郁组绝经后的GABA水平均显著低于绝经前水平（分别为P = 0.014、P < 0.001和P < 0.001）。绝经前，正常组与焦虑组（P = 0.907）、正常组与抑郁组（P = 0.495）以及焦虑组与抑郁组之间的GABA水平无显著差异。抑郁组绝经后的GABA水平显著低于焦虑组，且这两组均显著低于正常组，正常组与焦虑组比较（P = 0.022）、正常组与抑郁组比较（P < 0.001）、焦虑组与抑郁组比较（P = 0.047）。
前扣带回皮质中GABA浓度的变化与围绝经期抑郁症的病理生理机制及症状相关。
