title: Preliminary evidence of low cortical GABA levels in localized 1H-MR spectra of alcohol-dependent and hepatic encephalopathy patients.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Metabolite levels were measured in the occipital cortex by using spatially localized 1H-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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8043, USA. kevin.behar@yale.edu
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Behar
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hooten
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Petroff
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Petrakis
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Charney
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Krystal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002336:Carnosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011522:Protons; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; C005038:homocarnosine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D002336:Carnosine