Shaolin Yang1, 2, Olusola Ajilore1, Minjie Wu1, Melissa Lamar1, Anand Kumar1
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; 2Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
Neuroanatomical abnormalities have been identified in patients with late-life mood disorders. This study examined the biochemical correlates of late-life major depression in the cortical and subcortical gray matter and white matter by using proton MR spectroscopy at 3T. Relative to comparison subjects, the patients with late-life major depression had significantly elevated concentrations of myo-inositol in right frontal white matter and left head of caudate. No other neurochemical differences were observed between groups. The concentrations of myo-inositol in both regions were significantly correlated with the depressive symptomatology and the positive correlation between the concentration of myo-inositol and cognitive function as seen in the control group attenuated in the patient group.