PMID: 16538207Mar 16, 2006Paper

GABA in ischemic stroke. Proton magnetic resonance study

Medical Science Monitor : International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research
Lidia Głodzik-SobańskaAndrzej Szczudlik

Abstract

Experimental studies have suggested that ischemic stroke causes increment in extracellular level of gamma-aminobutyric acid in response to excessive glutamate concentration and function. The increased GABA concentration is followed by subsequent inhibition of GABA synthesis, thus leading to GABA-ergic dysfunction Enhancing GABA function seems to be a way of neuroprotec- tion after cerebral insult. Animal models have shown there is overactivity of excitatory neurotransmitters and decreased tone of GABA-ergic system also in the remote neocortical regions. Data concerning changes in brain areas outside the stroke lesion in humans are sparse. These region could be possible targets for therapeutic intervention. Progress in imaging techniques enables separation of a great number of chemical compounds .Our aim was to assess GABA levels outside the ischemic lesion by means of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H MRS). The study compared 31 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke and 20 healthy subjects. Single voxel H(1) MRS was performed to measure GABA/Cr ratios in structurally normal prefrontal regions, distant from the stroke lesion. The amount of the remaining metabolites (NAA, Cho, mI, Glx) was also estimated. Patients ...Continue Reading

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