title: Enhancement of GABA-related signalling is associated with increase of functional connectivity in human cortex.
abstract: Structural or operational synchrony analysis with EEG was conducted in order to detect functional interaction between cortical areas during an enhanced inhibition induced by the GABAergic agonist lorazepam in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study in eight healthy human subjects. Specifically, we investigated whether a neuronal inhibitory system in the brain mediates functional decoupling of cortical areas. Single-dose lorazepam administration resulted in a widespread increase in the inter-area functional connectivity and an increase in the strength of functional long-range and interhemispheric connections. These results suggest that inhibition can be an efficient mechanism for synchronization of large neuronal populations.
authors.affiliation: BM-Science Brain & Mind Technologies Research Centre, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fingelkurts
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fingelkurts
authors.forename: Reetta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kivisaari
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pekkonen
authors.forename: Risto J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ilmoniemi
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kähkönen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018757:GABA Modulators; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D008140:Lorazepam