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Severity of prematurity and age impact early postnatal development of GABA and glutamate systems

Sudeepta K Basu1,2,3, Subechhya Pradhan2,3, Yushuf M Sharker2

  • 1Neonatology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, D.C., United States.

Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|February 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Premature birth alters brain GABA and glutamate levels, impacting neurodevelopment even without visible injury. These findings in preterm infants may help identify early biomarkers for developmental deficits.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Premature birth can lead to neurodevelopmental deficits, potentially linked to altered neurotransmitter systems like GABA and glutamate.
  • Structural brain imaging often shows no injury in these infants, necessitating investigation into biochemical changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare in-vivo brain concentrations of GABA+ and Glx (glutamate + glutamine) in preterm infants without structural brain injury to term-born infants.
  • To investigate the relationship between these metabolite concentrations and post-menstrual age (PMA) and postnatal age at MRI.
  • To explore the potential of these metabolite levels as early biomarkers for neurodevelopmental deficits.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized GABA-edited spectroscopy (MEGA-PRESS) on 3T MRI to measure in-vivo GABA+ and Glx concentrations.
  • Acquired spectra from 75 preterm infants (gestational age 27.8 ± 2.9 weeks) and 48 term-born infants.
  • Analyzed metabolite concentrations in the cerebellum, right basal ganglia, and right frontal lobe.

Main Results:

  • GABA+ concentrations were highest in the cerebellum; Glx was highest in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, with lowest levels in the frontal lobe.
  • Metabolite concentrations positively correlated with advancing PMA and postnatal age.
  • Preterm infants showed lower basal ganglia Glx and frontal GABA+ concentrations compared to term infants.

Conclusions:

  • Premature birth significantly impacts the development of the GABA-glutamate system, even in the absence of structural brain injury.
  • Observed differences in metabolite concentrations between preterm and term infants highlight the effects of extra-uterine stimuli.
  • These findings suggest that in-vivo GABA+ and Glx levels could serve as early biomarkers for neurodevelopmental deficits in preterm infants.

Keywords:
GABAMEGA-PRESSMR spectroscopyglutamatepremature brain

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