Overview
- Young adults with major depressive disorder showed higher resting ATP yet a reduced ability to boost ATP under stress, detected in brain tissue and peripheral blood cells.
- ATP production rate in the visual cortex correlated with Fatigue Severity Scale scores, indicating a measurable bioenergetic signature of fatigue.
- The peer-reviewed study, led by Kathryn R. Cullen at the University of Minnesota with collaborators at the University of Queensland, appears in Translational Psychiatry.
- Brain measurements used 7‑Tesla 31P MRSI with magnetization transfer developed by Xiao‑Hong Zhu and Wei Chen, while blood assays stressed PBMC mitochondria to test reserve capacity.
- Findings suggest potential for a blood-based biomarker and targeted interventions, though authors caution the small, young cohort and cross-sectional design require replication and broader validation.