Functional MRS studies of GABA and glutamate/Glx - A systematic review and meta-analysis

Duanghathai Pasanta; Jason L He; Talitha Ford; Georg Oeltzschner; David J Lythgoe; Nicolaas A Puts

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104940

Functional MRS studies of GABA and glutamate/Glx - A systematic review and meta-analysis

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Jan:144:104940. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104940. Epub 2022 Nov 2.

Authors

Duanghathai Pasanta¹, Jason L He², Talitha Ford³, Georg Oeltzschner⁴, David J Lythgoe⁵, Nicolaas A Puts⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, London SE5 8AB, United Kingdom; Department of Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
² Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, London SE5 8AB, United Kingdom.
³ Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia; Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 700. N. Broadway, 21207 Baltimore, United States; Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N. Wolfe Street, 21205 Baltimore, United States.
⁵ Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, London SE5 8AB, United Kingdom.
⁶ Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, London SE5 8AB, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: nicolaas.puts@kcl.ac.uk.

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) can be used to investigate neurometabolic responses to external stimuli in-vivo, but findings are inconsistent. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on fMRS studies of the primary neurotransmitters Glutamate (Glu), Glx (Glutamate + Glutamine), and GABA. Data were extracted, grouped by metabolite, stimulus domain, and brain region, and analysed by determining standardized effect sizes. The quality of individual studies was rated. When results were analysed by metabolite type small to moderate effect sizes of 0.29-0.47 (p < 0.05) were observed for changes in Glu and Glx regardless of stimulus domain and brain region, but no significant effects were observed for GABA. Further analysis suggests that Glu, Glx and GABA responses differ by stimulus domain or task and vary depending on the time course of stimulation and data acquisition. Here, we establish effect sizes and directionality of GABA, Glu and Glx response in fMRS. This work highlights the importance of standardised reporting and minimal best practice for fMRS research.

Keywords: FMRS; Functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy; GABA; Glutamate; Glx; Meta-analysis; Review; Systematic.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review
Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brain / metabolism
Glutamic Acid* / metabolism
Glutamine* / metabolism
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism

Substances

Glutamic Acid
Glutamine
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding