Anterior cingulate GABA levels predict whole-brain cerebral blood flow

Benjamin W Krause; S Andrea Wijtenburg; Henry H Holcomb; Peter Kochunov; Danny J J Wang; L Elliot Hong; Laura M Rowland

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2013.12.062

Anterior cingulate GABA levels predict whole-brain cerebral blood flow

Neurosci Lett. 2014 Feb 21:561:188-91. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.12.062. Epub 2014 Jan 4.

Authors

Benjamin W Krause¹, S Andrea Wijtenburg², Henry H Holcomb¹, Peter Kochunov¹, Danny J J Wang³, L Elliot Hong¹, Laura M Rowland⁴

Affiliations

¹ Neuroimaging Research Program, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
² Neuroimaging Research Program, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: awijtenburg@mprc.umaryland.edu.
³ Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Neuroimaging Research Program, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Abstract

This study examined the relationship of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate levels from the anterior and posterior cingulates (AC and PC) with cerebral blood flow (CBF) at rest. (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements in the AC and PC and pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling data were acquired from 10 healthy controls. GABA levels from the AC were strongly inversely correlated with global (whole-brain) CBF (r=-0.91, p=0.0015). GABA levels from the PC and glutamate levels from both regions were not significantly correlated with CBF. We hypothesize that GABA-mediated inhibition of AC activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine pathway may influence global CBF.

Keywords: Anterior cingulate; Arterial spin labeling; Cerebral blood flow; GABA; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Brain / blood supply
Brain / metabolism
Cerebrovascular Circulation*
Female
Glutamic Acid / metabolism
Gyrus Cinguli / blood supply
Gyrus Cinguli / metabolism*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Reference Values
Young Adult
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism*

Substances

Glutamic Acid
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding