title: Increased brain GABA concentrations following acute administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to assess the effect of acute administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram on cortical levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten healthy volunteers received either intravenous citalopram (10 mg) or saline in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. The occipital GABA/creatine ratio was measured with a proton MR spectral editing technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with saline, citalopram produced a mean increase of 35% in relative brain GABA concentration in the occipital cortex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings extend previous work showing that SSRI treatment increases cortical GABA in depressed patients and suggest that this results from an action of SSRIs on GABA neurons rather than as a secondary consequence of mood improvement.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Zubin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bhagwagar
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wylezinska
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jezzard
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cowen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid