Abstract #3199

In Vivo GABA Measurement in MS Sensorimotr Cortex -- A Marker for Disease Progression?

Pallab K. Bhattacharyya¹, Robert Bermel², Micheal Phillips¹, Lael Stone², Mark Lowe¹

¹Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; ²Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

Recent histopathological data have demonstrated that GABA levels are markedly reduced in MS patients in comparison to healthy controls. We have performed in vivo GABA measurement of sensorimotor cortex for both healthy controls and MS patients at 3 tesla. We found a drop in the cortical GABA level in MS patients. In addition, our preliminary data suggest an inverse correlation between manual task performance and GABA level in MS patients. Our preliminary observation indicates that reduced cortical GABA concentration reflects disease burden.