Thalamic & Subcortical GABA in Human Brain at 7T

Jullie W. Pan¹, Nikolai Avdievich¹, Hoby P. Hetherington¹

For purposes of SNR, the majority of measurements of GABA have been primarily performed in superficial locations using local surface coils. However because of its potential roles in movement control and seizures, the measurement of GABA in subcortical nuclei is of significant interest for neurological studies. In these regions however significant challenges are present because of Bo shimming and the need to eliminate the macromolecule resonance. We used a transceiver array and 4th- partial 5th shim insert at 7T in the human brain to evaluate thalamic and putamen GABA in comparison to white and gray matter.