Direct and Quantitative Assessment of Brain Bioenergetics in Young Adults with Depression

Motivation: Feeling low on energy is a core feature of depression and can severely impact patients' daily functioning. Direct assessment of neuro-energetic state is essential for better understanding and managing depression. Goal(s): To perform a neuro-energetic pilot study in young adults with depression. Approach: Clinical depression assessment and 7T in vivo 31P MRS-MT imaging measurement were performed on young adults with and without depression. Key cerebral bioenergetic parameters were quantified and analyzed together with the depression and fatigue severity scores. Results: Statistically significant higher brain ATP production rate was detected in depression patients at rest, which showed positive correlation with their fatigue severity. Impact: We demonstrate that the 31P MRS-MT imaging technique is able to quantitatively evaluate key bioenergetic parameters in the human brain, revealing new insights into the cerebral energetic alterations underlying fatigue in young adults with depression.