Hippocampal metabolism and prefrontal brain structure: A combined 1H-MR spectroscopy, neuropsychological, and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study

Hippocampal structural and functional integrity impacts on multiple remote areas of the brain, and this connectivity is central to multiple cognitive functions in healthy and disease. We studied associations of hippocampal metabolic markers N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and glutamate (Glu and Glx; assessed with 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and brain grey matter (studied with voxel-based morphometry, VBM) in 20 healthy subjects. We found a significant correlation between right hippocampal NAA and left ventrolateral prefrontal cortical grey matter (TFCE, p < 0.05, FWE-corrected), as well as verbal fluency markers, and right hippocampal Glx (glutamate/glutamine) and left cerebellar volume. Our studies demonstrate a structure-function correlation that might underlie the interaction of the hippocampus with prefrontal cortex and cerebellum, which might be central to several neurological and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia or depression.