Neuro-Metabolic Changes in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Depression: An Exploratory Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study

Motivation: Cancer-related depression is prevalent with poor prognosis, yet its neurochemical mechanisms are unclear. Goal(s): Examine GABA and Glx level changes in the mPFC of NSCLC patients. Approach: This study included 38 NSCLC patients, categorized into depressed and non-depressed groups, along with healthy controls. MEGA-PRESS spectroscopy was employed to obtain GABA and Glx measurements. Results: DNSCLC patients showed significantly lower mPFC GABA+/Water levels than both HC and NDNSCLC (P < 0.05), and lower Glx/Water levels than HC (P < 0.05). GABA+/Water levels correlated negatively with HAMD scores (r=-0.491) in NSCLC patients. Impact: This study highlights specific neurochemical changes (reduced mPFC GABA+ and Glx) in depressed NSCLC patients, offering potential biomarkers for early detection of cancer-related depression.