Brain functional changes and gut microbiota dysbiosis have been observed in perimenopausal syndrome (PMS). We evaluated the effects of a plant-based daily diet enriched with Raphanus sativus L. (RSL, radish seed) on the gut microbiota composition, gastrointestinal symptoms, resting-state local spontaneous brain activity, and neuropsychology in perimenopausal women. For 12 weeks, the participants were instructed to adhere to a controlled, Raphanus sativus L.-rich plant-based diet (a mean RSL intake of 5 g/day). Two test days were organized: before and after the nutritional intervention. The fecal microbiota composition, gastrointestinal symptoms, resting-state brain function, and neuropsychology were assessed twice. A longitudinal single-arm study was conducted on 24 perimenopausal women. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores tended to improve in the visuospatial/executive function subitem and in the total score after the diet. The participants presented elevated amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values in the left middle occipital gyrus, the left precentral gyrus, and the left middle cingulum gyrus. The abundances of the phyla Synergistetes and Verrucomicrobia were positively correlated with the ALFF values of the left middle occipital gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and left middle cingulum gyrus. These data suggest that specific gut microbes may modulate intrinsic brain activity and cognitive function in perimenopausal women. A plant-based RSL-rich diet has beneficial effects on the gut microbial composition and brain function of perimenopausal women.

Patients with chronic partial sleep deprivation (SD) may experience cognitive dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to explore the pathways of electroacupuncture (EA) by observing the changes in brain metabolites before and after EA treatment in patients with chronic partial SD cognitive dysfunction. The research subjects included 26 chronic partial SD cognitive dysfunction patients and 27 healthy subjects. Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale (PSQI), Stanford Sleepiness Scale, Wechsler Memory Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Stroop paradigm, psychomotor vigilance test, 2-back test task, and mood assessment test were used to assess sleep quality, cognitive function, and emotional state of subjects. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to detect the basal ganglia of the brain, and the characteristics of metabolites of the 2 groups were comprehensively analyzed, and the correlation with clinical cognitive function evaluation indicators was analyzed. Compared with the control group, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale and Wechsler Memory Scale scores of the observation group were reduced before treatment, while the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and Hamilton Depression Scale scores were improved. The completion ability of Stroop, 2-back, and psychomotor vigilance test decreased. The GABA/Cr on the left side of the basal ganglia area increased. "Adjusting Zang-fu and Arousing Spirit" EA can improve the sleep quality and cognitive function of chronic partial sleep deprivation cognitive dysfunction patients, which may be related to regulating the levels of NAA, Cho, and GABA in the basal ganglia.

The role played by medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) glutamate (Glu) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the pathophysiology and the treatment of major depression (MD) is increasingly recognized. Although measurements of MPFC GABA and Glu have been shown to be sensitive to physiological fluctuations of female hormones, none of the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) investigations of MPFC Glu and GABA in MD have controlled for possible bias effect of the reproductive stage of the women included.

MPFC Glu and GABA+ (which include homocarnosine and macromolecules) referenced to creatine and phosphocreatine, were measured via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) using a 3-Tesla magnet in 24 women with MD and 24 healthy women paired for reproductive status. All participants were unmedicated.

There were no statistical differences in either MPFC Glu [95 % CI: (-0.025, 0.034)] or MPFC GABA+ [95 % CI: (-0.005, 0.017)] between women with MD and healthy controls.

Our investigation does not support abnormalities in measurement of MPFC Glu and GABA in MD women when stringent control for reproductive status is performed. As a result of the inherent limitations of MRS methodology, our results do not preclude glutamatergic and GABAergic dysregulations in the MPFC of women with MD.

It has been suggested that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), especially the left DLPFC, has an important role in the pathophysiology and the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD); furthermore, the contributory and antidepressant role of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is increasingly recognized. Given that most female patients with MDD are of reproductive age, we sought to assess in vivo baseline GABA levels in the left DLPFC among unmedicated females of reproductive age with depression.

We compared healthy females and females with MDD. Both groups were of reproductive age. We confirmed absence of current or past psychiatric diagnosis among healthy controls or a current diagnosis of MDD via a structured interview. We measured GABA+ (including homocarnosine and macromolecules), referenced to creatine and phosphocreatine, via magnetic resonance spectroscopy using a 3 Tesla magnet.

We included 20 healthy controls and 13 participants with MDD. All participants were unmedicated at the time of the study. All females were scanned during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Levels of GABA+ in the left DLPFC were significantly lower among participants with MDD (median 0.08) than healthy controls (median 0.10; U = 66.0, p = 0.02, r = 0.41).

When we adjusted for fit error as a covariate, we lost statistical significance for left DLPFC GABA+. However, when we adjusted for signal-to-noise ratio, statistical significance was maintained.

Our results suggest that GABA+ levels in the left DLPFC may vary by depression status and should be examined as a possible treatment target.

The perimenopause is associated with an increased risk of developing a major depressive (MD) episode. The biological changes occurring during perimenopause responsible for this increased risk of depression remain to be elucidated. Postmortem and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies have revealed decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of MD patients. The objective of this study was to compare LDLPFC GABA+ and Glu ratios (referenced to creatine and phosphocreatine) in healthy reproductive-aged (RD) and perimenopausal (PM) women.

Eighteen healthy PM and 20 RD women were included in the study. Our dependent variables, LDLPFC Glu and GABA+ ratios which include homocarnosine and macromolecules, were measured via MRS, using a 3 Tesla magnet. Absence of current or past psychiatric diagnosis was confirmed via a structured interview. RD participants were scanned during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (MC). PM women were scanned outside of ovulatory cycles.

Mean LDLPFC GABA+ and Glu ratios were not statistically different between the PM group and RD group (PM mean = 0.10 ± 0.06, RD mean = 0.11 ± 0.04, t = -0.383, df = 36, d = -0.13, p = 0.70) (PM mean = 0.56 ± 0.06, RD mean = 0.57 ± 0.05, t = -0.794, df = 36, d = -0.26, p = 0.43), respectively. The perimenopause demarcates the end of the reproductive life. Unsurprisingly PM women were older than RD women (PM women: 48.8 ± 3.55 years, range 41-53 years old; RD women: 31.5 ± 9.66 years, range 18-47 years old) (p < 0.001). This inherent entanglement of group and age is a limitation of our study.

Contrary to our previous findings of decreased GABA+ and Glu in the medial prefrontal cortex in perimenopausal women, the perimenopause is not associated with decreased GABA+ or Glu ratios in the LDLPFC. This suggests that brain areas playing a role in MD display different sensitivity to the female hormones fluctuations associated with perimenopause.