Altered Cortical GABA in Female Veterans with Suicidal Behavior: Sex Differences and Clinical Correlates.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Suicide is a public health concern in the civilian and veteran populations. Stressful life events are precipitating factors for suicide. The neurochemical underpinnings of the association between stress/trauma and suicide risk are unclear, especially in regards to sex differences. We hypothesized that gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter may be a neurochemical candidate that is critical in the association between stress and suicide risk in veterans.

Methods

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) at 3.0 Tesla was used to measure in vivo neurochemistry in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; predominantly the dorsal ACC) of 81 veterans (16 females), including 57 (11 females) who endorsed past suicidal ideat

SUBMITTER: Prescot A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5947869 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature