Neurochemical Correlates of Mood and Anxiety in Healthy Women: Basal Ganglia Profiling With 3T 1HMRS.

BACKGROUND

Emotional variability in healthy individuals may reflect underlying neurochemical processes relevant to mental health. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) enables in vivo quantification of metabolites linked to neuronal integrity and glial activity, yet data on nonclinical Middle Eastern populations remain scarce.

METHODS

Eighty-four healthy young women from Saudi Arabia underwent 3T 1H-MRS of the basal ganglia. Metabolite ratios ((N-acetylaspartate/Creatine (NAA/Cr), Choline/Creatine (Cho/Cr), Myo-Inositol/ Creatine (Myo-In/Cr), Glutamate/Creatine (Glx/Cr)) were quantified using LCModel. Mood and anxiety were assessed with validated self-reported scales. Correlation and regression analyses examined associations between metabolite ratios and emotional scores.

RESULTS

Higher Cho/Cr and Myo-In/Cr ratios correlated positively with mood (r = 0.35, p < 0.001; r = 0.29, p = 0.004) and anxiety (r = 0.32, p = 0.002; r = 0.27, p = 0.009). NAA/Cr showed small negative associations, while Glx/Cr was nonsignificant. Regression confirmed Cho/Cr and Myo-In/Cr as significant predictors of both mood and anxiety, explaining up to 31% of variance.

CONCLUSION

Basal ganglia metabolite ratios, particularly Cho/Cr and Myo-In/Cr, are associated with affective variability in healthy young women. These findings underscore the potential of 1H-MRS neurochemical profiles as early indicators of emotional vulnerability, supporting integration into precision mental health frameworks for preventive care.