Preliminary evidence of low cortical GABA levels in localized 1H-MR spectra of alcohol-dependent and hepatic encephalopathy patients.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to compare levels of neuroactive amino acids in the cerebral cortex of healthy subjects, recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients, and patients with hepatic encephalopathy. METHOD Metabolite levels were measured in the occipital cortex by using spatially localized 1H-MRS. Five recently detoxified alcohol-dependent and five hepatic encephalopathy patients with alcohol and non-alcohol-related disease were compared with 10 healthy subjects. RESULTS The combined level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plus homocarnosine was lower in the alcohol-dependent and hepatic encephalopathy patients than in the healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that GABA-ergic systems are altered in both alcohol-dependent and hepatic encephalopathy patients.

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