title: Monitoring of gamma-aminobutyric acid in human cerebrospinal fluid: downward revision of previous control values.
abstract: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels were measured by a radioreceptor assay in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from two groups of subjects, one without evidence of neurological or psychiatric disease and one with a variety of neurological disorders for which GABA involvement is not known. Mean GABA concentrations in CSF for the two groups were 117 +/- 10 and 127 +/- 7.4 pmol/ml (means +/- SE for 17 and 41 individuals, respectively). These values were about half of most previously reported mean CSF GABA control values, a fact which may be attributed, at least in part, to a reduction of artifactual increase in GABA levels during sampling, storing, and thawing of CSF samples and GABA analysis. Age and sex had no significant influence on CSF GABA concentration.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid