Low GABA concentrations in occipital cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in medication-free, recovered depressed patients

Bhagwagar, Zubin, Wylezinska, Marzena, Jezzard, Peter, Evans, Christopher John ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6619-4245, Boorman, Erie, Matthews, Paul M. and Cowen, Philip J. 2008. Low GABA concentrations in occipital cortex and anterior cingulate cortex in medication-free, recovered depressed patients. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 11 (2) , pp. 255-260. 10.1017/S1461145707007924

Preview

PDF - Published Version Download (131kB) | Preview

Abstract

Studies using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) indicate that unmedicated, acutely depressed patients have decreased levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the occipital cortex. The aim of this study was to use 1H-MRS to determine if changes in occipital and frontal cortical GABA levels were present in patients with a history of depression who had recovered and were no longer taking medication. We used 1H-MRS to measure levels of GABA in both occipital cortex and anterior cingulate cortex/prefrontal cortex in medication-free, fully recovered subjects with a history of recurrent unipolar depression. Levels of GABA in both occipital and anterior cingulate cortex were significantly lower in recovered depressed subjects than healthy controls. Our data provide preliminary evidence that a history of recurrent depression is associated with decreased GABA levels in anterior cingulate cortex and occipital cortex. These changes could represent part of the neurobiological vulnerability to recurrent depressive episodes.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Depression; GABA; MRS
Additional Information:	Pdf uploaded in accordance with publisher's policy at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/1461-1457/ (accessed 25/02/2014).
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	1461-1457
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	12 May 2023 21:27
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/26623

Citation Data

Cited 136 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item