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GABA Levels in Left and Right Sensorimotor Cortex Correlate across Individuals
Nicolaas A J Puts1,2, Stefanie Heba3, Ashley D Harris4,5,6,7,8
1Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. nputs1@jhmi.edu.
Individual differences in brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), correlate between the left and right sensorimotor cortex. This bilateral GABA correlation is not explained by tissue composition differences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels measured via Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) correlate with behavioral performance.
- These correlations are known to be regionally and functionally specific across cortical areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if GABA levels correlate within individuals for functionally related regions: the left and right sensorimotor cortex.
- To investigate if this bilateral correlation is driven by bulk tissue composition.
Main Methods:
- Acquired edited MRS data for GABA measurement from the left and right sensorimotor cortex in 24 participants.
- Acquired T1-weighted MR images and segmented voxels to determine tissue composition.
Main Results:
- A significant correlation was found between GABA levels in the left and right sensorimotor cortex (r = 0.64, p < 0.03).
- While tissue composition was highly correlated between sides, it did not explain the observed bilateral GABA correlation.
Conclusions:
- Individual differences in GABA levels are correlated between homologous sensorimotor regions.
- This bilateral correlation is independent of bulk tissue composition differences within the measured voxels.
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