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- Title
Increased NAA and reduced choline levels in the anterior cingulum following chronic methylphenidate.
- Authors
Kronenberg, Golo; Ende, Gabriele; Alm, Barbara; Deuschle, Michael; Heuser, Isabella; Colla, Michael
- Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is crucially involved in executive control of attention. Here, seven medication-naïve adult patients suffering from attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were studied with 2D 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of the ACC [Brodmann areas 24b′–c′ and 32′] twice, once before initiation of stimulant treatment and once after 5–6 weeks of methylphenidate. Upon retest, all patients demonstrated marked clinical improvement. Analysis of regional brain spectra revealed a significantly decreased signal of choline containing compounds as well as increased N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) levels following treatment with methylphenidate whereas total creatine remained unchanged. Our results add to a growing body of evidence implicating the ACC in the pathophysiology of ADHD and suggest that subtle structural changes might be associated with aspects of clinical improvement under stimulant treatment.
- Subjects
ATTENTION-deficit hyperactivity disorder; CEREBRAL cortex; ACETYLENE; METHYLPHENIDATE; SPECTRUM analysis
- Publication
European Archives of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience, 2008, Vol 258, Issue 7, p446
- ISSN
0940-1334
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s00406-008-0810-2