Striatal Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Abnormalities in Young Adult Sapap3 Knockout Mice

Young adult Sapap3 KO mice have striatal but not medial frontal cortex magnetic resonance spectroscopy abnormalities that may reflect striatal hypermetabolism accompanied by oxidative stress. These abnormalities typically precede the onset of severe compulsive grooming. Our findings are consistent with striatal hypermetabolism in OCD. Together, these results suggest that striatal magnetic resonance spectroscopy measures of lactate or glutathione might be useful biomarkers for early detection of risk for developing compulsive behavior disorders.