Kameda T, et al. - Researchers identified the central difference between chronic low back pain (CLBP) and controls by means of measuring the metabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), as well as examined the associations between depression and metabolites in ACC. They showed lower N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels and higher glutamine (Glx)/creatine and Glx/myoinositol ratios in the ACC of CLBP members compared with controls. They suggested the hypothesis that excessive Glx leads to neuronal dysfunction and/or death, which was reflected as a low NAA level in the ACC of people with CLBP. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), measurement of these metabolites potentially helps evaluate CLBP patients’ condition and psychological status objectively.