Abstract #2073

Gabby V, Hess D, Babb J, Gonen O

Adolescent Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) represents a major public health concern. There has been scarce of research in this age group. This study examines neurochemistry in adolescent MDD focusing on the striatum and cingulate cortex. Addressing prior inconsistent findings, we use high resolution, 3D multivoxel 1H-MRS, 1cm3 voxels to quantify metabolite concentrations. Seven depressed adolescents and seven comparisons were enrolled. Significant higher striatal choline concentrations were observed in the MDD group (p=0.012). Findings are consistent with increased membrane breakdown and suggest that impaired cellular resilience may play a role early in the course of the illness.