Decreased Anterior Cingulate Cortex GABA in Depressed Adolescents Measured by Proton MRS at 3T

Vilma Gabbay¹, Xiangling Mao², Yisrael Katz¹, Aviva Pazner¹, James S. Babb¹, Dikoma C. Shungu²

Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious public health concern as it often leads to suicide. However, limited research has been conducted to date in this clinical population. This is the first study to examine in vivo γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in adolescents with MDD. Using proton MRS, levels of GABA were measured in the anterior cingulate cortex of adolescents with MDD and found to be decreased compared to matched healthy control subjects. This finding supports the notion that GABA abnormalities may be involved early in the etiology of MDD.