N-acetylaspartate concentration in the anterior cingulate of maltreated children and adolescents with PTSD

Objective: Anterior cingulate dysfunction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors hypothesized that integrity of the anterior cingulate may be affected in childhood PTSD. Method: Single voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (proton MRS) was used to measure the relative concentration of N-acetylaspartate and creatine, a marker of neural integrity, in the anterior cingulate of 11 children and adolescents who met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD secondary to maltreatment and 11 healthy matched comparison subjects. Results: The ratio of N-acetylaspartate to creatine was significantly lower in the maltreated subjects with PTSD than in the comparison subjects. Conclusions: The lower N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio in subjects with PTSD suggests that anterior cingulate neuronal metabolism may be altered in childhood PTSD.