Decreased motor cortex γ-aminobutyric acid in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To determine if there are in vivo differences in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the motor cortex and subcortical white matter of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) compared with healthy controls using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS).

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 10 patients with ALS and 9 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent 3T edited 1H-MRS to quantify GABA centered on the motor cortex and the subcortical white matter.

Results

Compared with healthy controls, patients with ALS had significantly lower levels of GABA in the left motor cortex (1.42 ± 0.27 arbitrary institutional units vs. 1.70 ± 0.24 arbitrary institutional units, p = 0.038). There was no significant difference in GABA levels between gro

SUBMITTER: Foerster BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3348851 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature