Abstract
Background
Long-term behavioral, immunologic, and neurochemical alterations have been found in
primates exposed to adverse early rearing.
Methods
Bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) mother–infant dyads were exposed to uncertain requirements for food procurement
(variable foraging demand, VFD) for a few months. Ten years later, these offspring
and age- and gender-matched control subjects were studied using proton magnetic resonance
spectroscopic imaging (MRSI).
Results
In anterior cingulate, VFD-reared subjects displayed significantly decreased N-acetylaspartate (NAA) resonance and significantly increased glutamate–glutamine–γ-aminobutyric
acid (Glx) resonance relative to the stable neurometabolite creatine (Cr). Across
all subjects, NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr ratios in the anterior cingulate were negatively correlated
(r = −.638, p = .014). In the medial temporal lobe, the ratio of choline-containing compounds to
Cr was significantly increased in VFD subjects.
Conclusions
These findings indicate that adverse early rearing in primates has an enduring impact
on adult MRSI measures considered reflective of neuronal integrity and metabolism,
membrane structure and glial function, and cerebral glutamate content, and that these
alterations occur in the same brain regions implicated in trauma-related psychiatric
disorders.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 17,
2002
Received in revised form:
December 1,
2002
Received:
August 14,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
