Preliminary Evidence of Low Cortical GABA Levels in Localized¹H-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.