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Abstract #2922

Effect of age on in vivo GABA and glutathione levels in a pediatric sample

Muhammad Gulamabbas Saleh1, Afroditi Papantoni2, Georg Oeltzschner1, Mark Mikkelsen1, Nicolaas A Puts1, Richard A Edden1, and Susan Carnell2
1Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States, 2Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States

GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human brain and is implicated in several neuropathologies. Glutathione is a major antioxidant in the brain and is considered a marker of oxidative stress. Several studies have reported age-related declines in GABA levels in adulthood, but the aging dynamics of both GABA and glutathione have not been well explored in childhood. We demonstrate increases in GABA and no differences in glutathione with age in a healthy pediatric sample (5.7-13.9 years). This study provides insight into neuronal maturation in children and may facilitate better understanding of the pathophysiology of developmental disorders.

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