Project Summary

Dan V. Iosifescu, M.D. (Young Investigator 2001) of Massachusetts General Hospital, is using a technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine the levels of two brain chemicals which are used as “fuel” for many critical cellular activities.  These chemicals are called beta-nucleoside triphosphate (beta-NTP) and phosphocreatinine (PCr).  It is hypothesized that depressed patients, compared to healthy controls, will have lower levels of these brain chemicals, and that patients who respond to thyroid hormone will have a larger increase of these chemicals compared to non-responders.  This work may have important implications for understanding the pathology of major depression and the basis for the effectiveness of thyroid hormone in its treatment.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Depression (Unipolar)

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