Detection of GABA in Human Brain on Clinical 3 T MRI Scanner

Abstract

Abstract:

GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of human brain, and plays a predominant role in the regulation of neuronal activity. Detection of GABA by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy is hindered by its inherent low concentration and overlapping with resonances from other metabolites. GABA cannot be directly detected with the PRESS (point resolved echo spectroscopy) or STEAM (stimulated echo acquisition mode) pulse sequences on the clinical MRI scanners. This paper reported the implementation of a single-voxel spectroscopy J-difference editing sequence (MEGA-PRESS) for detection of GABA. The results from phantom studies and human brain indicated that it is feasible to use MEGAPRESS for detection of GABA on 3 T clinical MRI scanners.

Key words: GABA, J-difference, spectral editing, MEGA-PRESS

CLC Number:

O482. 53

CHEN Lu-guang，LI Jian-qi*，WANG Qian-feng. Detection of GABA in Human Brain on Clinical 3 T MRI Scanner[J]. Chinese Journal of Magnetic Resonance.

References

[1] Zhou Kang-rong(周康荣), Chen Zu-wang(陈祖望). Body MRI(体部磁共振成像)[M]. Shanghai(上海): Shanghai Medical University Press（上海医科大学出版社）, 2000.

[2] Levy L M, Ziemann U, Chen R, et al. Rapid modulation of GABA in sensorimotor cortex induced by acute deafferentation[J]. Ann Neurol, 2002, 52(6): 755-761.

[3] Babak B, Rothman D L, Petroff O A C, et al. Involvement of GABA in rapid experience-dependent plasticity in the human visual cortex[J]. Biol Psych, 2001, 49(8): 148S.

[4] Behar K L, Rothman D L, Petersen K F, et al. Preliminary evidence of low cortical GABA levels in localized ¹H-MR spectra of alcohol-dependent and hepatic encephalopathy patients[J]. Am J Psychiatry, 1999, 156(6): 952-954.

[5] Ke Y, Streeter C C, Nassar L E, et al. Frontal lobe GABA levels in cocaine dependence: a two-dimensional, J resolved magnetic resonance spectroscopy study[J]. Psychiatry Res, 2004,130(3): 283-293.

[6] Brambilla P, Perez J, Barale F, et al. GABAergic dysfunction in mood disorders[J]. Mol Psychiatry, 2003, 8(8): 721-737.

[7] Petroff O A, Hyder F, Rothman D L, et al. Homocarnosine and seizure control in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and complex partial seizures[J]. Neurology, 2001, 56(6): 709-715.

[8] Sanacora G, Mason G F, Rothman D L, et al. Reduced cortical gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in depressed patients determined by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy[J]. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1999, 56(11): 1 043-1 047.

[9] Yoon J H, Maddock R J, Rokem A, et al. GABA concentration is reduced in visual cortex in schizophrenia and correlates with orientation-specific surround suppression[J]. J Neurosci, 2010, 30(10): 3 777-3 781.

[10] Bhattacharyya P K, Phillipsa M D, Stone L A, et al. In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurement of gray-matter and white matter gamma aminobutyric acid concentration in sensorimotor cortex using a motion controlled MEGA point resolved spectroscopy sequence[J]. Magn Reson Imaging, 2011, 29(3): 374-379.

[11] Graaf D,Robin A. In vivo NMR spectroscopy principles and techniques (2nd ed)[M]. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2007.

[12] Rothman D L, Behar K L, Hetherington H P, et al. Homonuclear ¹H double resonance difference spectroscopy of the rat brain in vivo[J]. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1984, 81(20): 6 330-6 334.

[13] Keltner J R, Wald L L, Frederick B D, et al. In vivo detection of GABA in human brain using a localized double-quantum filter technique[J]. Magn Reson Med, 1997, 37(3): 366-371.

[14] Ke Y, Cohen B M, Bang J Y, et al. Assessment of GABA concentration in human brain using two-dimensional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy[J]. Psychiatry Res, 2000, 100(3): 169-178.

[15] Chen Yao-wen(陈耀文), Shen Zhi-wei(沈志威), Su Ji-wei(宿吉伟), et al. Quantitative measurement of γ-aminobutyric acid concentration in vivo by magnetic reasonance spectroscopy: a review(MRS 定量检测活体γ-氨基丁酸浓度的研究现状)[J]. Chinese J Magn Reson(波谱学杂志), 2006, 23(3): 409-417.

[16] Mescher M, Merkle H, Kirsch J, et al. Simultaneous in vivo spectral editing and water suppression[J]. NMR Biomed, 1998, 11(6): 266-272.

[17] Kaiser L G, Young K, Meyerhoff D J, et al. A detailed analysis of localized J- difference GABA editing: theoretical and experimental study at 4 T [J]. NMR Biomed, 2008, 21(1): 22-32.

[18] Waddell K W, Avison M J, Joers J M., et al. A practical guide to robust detection of GABA in human brain by J-difference spectroscopy at 3 T using a standard volume coil[J]. Magn Reson Imaging, 2007, 25(7): 1 032-1 038.

[19] Hetherington H P, Newcomer B R, Pan J W. Measurement of human cerebral GABA at 4.1 T using numerically optimized editing pulses[J]. Magn Reson Med, 1998, 39(1): 6-10.

[20] Bogner W, Gruber S, Doelken M, et al. In vivo quantification of intracerebral GABA by single-voxel ¹H-MRS-How reproducible are the results?[J]. Eur J Radiol, 2010, 73(3): 526-531. 

[21] Stefan D, Cesare F D, Andrasescu A, et al. Quantitation of magnetic resonance spectroscopy signals: the jMRUI software package[J]. Meas Sci Technol, 2009, 20(10): 141-152.

[22] McLean M A, Busza A L, Wald L L, et al. In vivo GABA- measurement at 1.5 T using a PRESS localized double quantum filter[J]. Magn Reson Med, 2002, 48(2): 233-241.

[23] Harada M, Taki M, Nose A, et al. Non-Invasive evaluation of the GABAergic/Glutamatergic system in autistic patients observed by MEGA-Editing proton MR Spectroscopy using a clinical 3 Tesla instrument[J]. J Autism Dev Disord, 2011, 41(4): 447-454.

[24] Winkelman J W, Buxton O M, Eric Jensen J, et al. Reduced brain GABA in primary insomnia:preliminary data from 4 T proton magnetic reasonace spectroscopy (¹H-MRS)[J]. Sleep, 2008, 31(11): 1 499-1 506.

[25] Andreychenko A, Boer V O, Arteaga de Castro C S, et al. Efficient spectral editing at 7 T: GABA detection with MEGA-sLASER[J]. Magn Reson Med, 2012, 68(4): 1 018-1 025.

[26] Li Jian-qi(李建奇), Wu Bin(吴斌), Tang Feng(唐峰), et al. In vivo ¹H-MRS of liver:the effects of frequency correction(频率校正方法在活体肝脏¹H磁共振波谱中的应用)[J]. Chinese J Magn Reson(波谱学杂志), 2007, 24(3): 335-340.

[27] Kaiser L G, Yong K, Matson G B. Elimination of spatial interference in PRESS-localized editing spectroscopy[J]. Magn Reson Med, 2007, 58(4): 813-818. 

[28] Near J, Simpson R, Cowen P, et al. Efficent γ-aminobutyric acid editing at 3 T without macromolecule contamination: MEGA-SPECIAL[J]. NMR Biomed, 2011, 24(10): 1 277-1 285.

[29] Aufhaus E, Weber-Fahr W, Sack M, et al. Absence of changes in GABA concentrations with age and gender in the human anterior cingulate cortex: a MEGA-PRESS study with symmetric editing pulse frequencies for macromolecule suppression[J]. Magn Reson Med, 2012, 69(2): 317-320.