Changes in aspartate metabolism in the medial‐prefrontal cortex of nicotine addicts based on J ‐edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy

This study aims to explore the changes of the aspartate (Asp) level in the medial‐prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of subjects with nicotine addiction (nicotine addicts [NAs]) using the J‐edited (1)H MR spectroscopy (MRS), which may provide a positive imaging evidence for intervention of NA. From March to August 2022, 45 males aged 40–60 years old were recruited from Henan Province, including 21 in NA and 24 in nonsmoker groups. All subjects underwent routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and J‐edited MRS scans on a 3.0 T MRI scanner. The Asp level in mPFC was quantified with reference to the total creatine (Asp/Cr) and water (Asp(water‐corr), with correction of the brain tissue composition) signals, respectively. Two‐tailed independent samples t‐test was used to analyze the differences in levels of Asp and other coquantified metabolites (including total N‐acetylaspartate [tNAA], total cholinine [tCho], total creatine [tCr], and myo‐Inositol [mI]) between the two groups. Finally, the correlations of the Asp level with clinical characteristic assessment scales were performed using the Spearman criteria. Compared with the control group (n = 22), NAs (n = 18) had higher levels of Asp (Asp/Cr: p = .005; Asp(water‐corr): p = .004) in the mPFC, and the level of Asp was positively correlated with the daily smoking amount (Asp/Cr: p < .001; Asp(water‐corr): p = .004). No significant correlation was found between the level of Asp and the years of nicotine use, Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Russell Reason for Smoking Questionnaire (RRSQ), or Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS‐11) score. The elevated Asp level was observed in mPFC of NAs in contrast to nonsmokers, and the Asp level was positively correlated with the amount of daily smoking, which suggests that nicotine addiction may result in elevated Asp metabolism in the human brain.