Preliminary Evidence of Low Cortical GABA Levels in Localized1 H-MR Spectra of Alcohol-Dependent and Hepatic Encephalopathy Patients.
Behar, Kevin L. PhD; Rothman, Douglas L. PhD; Petersen, Kitt F. MD; Hooten, Michael MD; Delaney, Richard PhD; Petroff, Ognen A.C. MD; Shulman, Gerald I. MD, PhD; Navarro, Victor MD; Petrakis, Ismene L. MD; Charney, Dennis S. MD; Krystal, John H. MD
[Report] American Journal of Psychiatry. 156(6):952-954, June 1999.

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Objective: The aim of the study was to compare levels of neuroactive amino acids in the cerebral cortex of healthy subjects, recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients, and patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

Method: Metabolite levels were measured in the occipital cortex by using spatially localized1 H-MRS. Five recently detoxified alcohol-dependent and five hepatic encephalopathy patients with alcohol and non-alcohol-related disease were compared with 10 healthy subjects.

Results: The combined level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plus homocarnosine was lower in the alcohol-dependent and hepatic encephalopathy patients than in the healthy subjects.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that GABA-ergic systems are altered in both alcohol-dependent and hepatic encephalopathy patients.

(Am J Psychiatry 1999; 156:952-954)

Copyright (C) 1999 American Psychiatric Association.