title: Frontal lobe GABA levels in cocaine dependence: a two-dimensional, J-resolved magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
abstract: Non-invasive measures of brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations may be especially useful in the identification of cocaine-related changes in brain chemistry that can be used to guide the development of future treatments for cocaine-dependent persons. This study assessed whether brain GABA levels in cocaine-dependent subjects with and without an alcohol disorder differ from GABA levels in healthy comparison subjects. Two-dimensional, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to determine GABA levels in the left prefrontal lobe of cocaine-dependent subjects (N=35) recruited from a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-sponsored treatment trial of cocaine dependence and a comparison group (N=20). At treatment baseline, mean GABA concentrations were 0.93+/-0.27 mM/kg in cocaine-dependent subjects and 1.32+/-0.44 mM/kg in the comparison sample (t [d.f.=53]=3.65, P<0.001). Cocaine-dependent subjects with a history of a co-morbid alcohol disorder (N=23) had significantly lower baseline GABA levels (0.87 mM/kg) (t [d.f.=41]=4.31, P<0.001) than the comparison group. However, cocaine-dependent subjects without an alcohol disorder (N=12) also had lower GABA levels (1.04 mM/kg) than the comparison subjects (t [d.f.=30]=2.09, P=0.045), suggesting that cocaine dependence alone can decrease GABA levels.
authors.affiliation: Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478, USA. yke@mclean.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Chris C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Streeter
authors.forename: Leanne E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Nassar
authors.forename: Ofra
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sarid-Segal
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hennen
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Yurgelun-Todd
authors.forename: Lily A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rendall
authors.forename: Staci A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nason
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mudrick
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.forename: Angela A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.forename: Domenic A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ciraulo
authors.forename: Perry F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Renshaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid