Frontal lobe GABA levels in cocaine dependence: a two-dimensional, J-resolved magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
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.
Ke
Yong
Y
Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478, USA. yke@mclean.harvard.edu
Streeter
Chris C
CC
Nassar
Leanne E
LE
Sarid-Segal
Ofra
O
Hennen
John
J
Yurgelun-Todd
Deborah A
DA
Awad
Lily A
LA
Rendall
Melanie J
MJ
Gruber
Staci A
SA
Nason
Ariel
A
Mudrick
Melissa J
MJ
Blank
Steven R
SR
Meyer
Angela A
AA
Knapp
Clifford
C
Ciraulo
Domenic A
DA
Renshaw
Perry F
PF
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*
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid