Exploring age-related alterations in brain metabolite levels in healthy adult women using 1H MRS at 3T: Effects of exposure to early-life stress

Motivation: Adversity experienced during early life termed early-life stress (ELS) might increase the risk for neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disorders in the adult human brain. An enhanced understanding of these relationships will aid in diagnosis and intervention. Goal(s): Our goal was to investigate whether ELS is associated with changes in brain metabolism by using 1H MR spectroscopy. Approach: The interaction between metabolite concentrations obtained from MRS, acquired in adult women, age, and scores of ELS was modeled using non-linear statistics. Results: Higher concentrations with increasing age in individuals exposed to ELS were found for specific metabolites suggesting long-term effects of ELS on the human brain. Impact: Understanding the role of early-life stress (ELS) in driving neuroinflammatory processes and identification of specific biomarkers to assess the risk for accelerated cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders in individuals exposed to ELS will aid in early identification and targeted interventions.