GABA-FMRI Activation Volume Correlation Suggests GABA Is a Marker of Cortical Adaptation in Multiple Sclerosis

Pallab K. Bhattacharyya¹, Robert A. Bermel¹, Micheal D. Phillips¹, Lael A. Stone¹, Blessy A. Mathew¹, Mark J. Lowe¹

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is often associated with cortical reorganization that is manifested in an increase in the extent of functional cortical activation in MS patients versus controls during performance of specific tasks. Mechanism of this reorganization process is largely unknown. Since gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) has been suggested to play a role in MS, we examined the dependence of task specific fMRI activation on GABA levels in the sensorimotor and visual cortices. We observed increased cortical GABA level with increased activation in both the cortices in MS, which suggests a role of GABA in the cortical reorganization/adaptation process.