Effect of Acute Psychological Stress on Prefrontal GABA Concentration Determined by Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- 1 October 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Psychiatric Association Publishing in American Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 167 (10), 1226-1231
- https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.09070994
Abstract
Objective: Impaired function of the central gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system, which provides the brain's major inhibitory pathways, is thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders. The effect of acute psychological stress on the human GABA-ergic system is still unknown, however. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of acute stress on prefrontal GABA levels. Method: A recently developed noninvasive magnetic resonance spectroscopy method was used to measure changes in the GABA concentration of the prefrontal cortex in 10 healthy human subjects during a threat-of-shock condition and during a safe condition (two sessions on different days). The main outcome measure was the mean GABA concentration within a 3×3×2-cm3 voxel selected from the medial prefrontal cortex. Results: Prefrontal GABA decreased by approximately 18% in the threat-of-shock condition relative to the safe condition. This reduction was specific to GABA, since the concentrations of N-acetyl-aspartate, choline-containing compounds, and glutamate/glutamine levels obtained in the same spectra did not change significantly. Conclusions: This result appeared compatible with evidence from preclinical studies in rodents, which showed rapid presynaptic down-regulation of GABA-ergic neurotransmission in response to acute psychological stress. The molecular mechanism and functional significance of this reduced inhibitory effect of acute psychological stress in relation to impaired GABA-ergic function in anxiety disorders merit further investigation.This publication has 34 references indexed in Scilit:
- Normal Prefrontal Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Levels in Remitted Depressed Subjects Determined by Proton Magnetic Resonance SpectroscopyBiological Psychiatry, 2005
- Creatine and Creatinine MetabolismPhysiological Reviews, 2000
- Effects of GABA-transaminase inhibition on brain metabolism and amino-acid compartmentation: an in vivo study by 2D 1 H-NMR spectroscopy coupled with microdialysisExperimental Brain Research, 1999
- Regional Cerebral Blood Flow During Script-Driven Imagery in Childhood Sexual Abuse-Related PTSD: A PET InvestigationAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 1999
- Decreased Brain GABAA-Benzodiazepine Receptor Binding in Panic DisorderArchives of General Psychiatry, 1998
- The rate of turnover of cortical GABA from [1-13C]glucose is reduced in rats treated with the GABA-transaminase inhibitor vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA).1996
- Blood flow changes in human somatosensory cortex during anticipated stimulationNature, 1995
- GABAA receptors mediate the changes produced by stress on GABA function and locomotor activityNeuroscience Letters, 1994
- A functional cerebral response to frightening visual stimulationPsychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 1993
- Regional cerebral blood flow during experimental phobic fearPsychophysiology, 1993