Macromolecule suppressed GABA levels show no relationship with age in a pediatric sample

Abstract

The inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a crucial role in cortical development. Therefore, characterizing changes in GABA levels during development has important implications for the study of healthy development and developmental disorders. Brain GABA levels can be measured non-invasively using GABA-edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). However, the most commonly used editing technique to measure GABA results in contamination of the GABA signal with macromolecules (MM). Therefore, GABA measured using this technique is often referred to as GABA+. While few in number, previous studies have shown GABA+ levels increase with age during development. However, these studies are unable to specify whether it is specifically GABA that is increasing or, instead, if levels of MM increase. In this study, we use a GABA-editing technique specifically designed to suppress the MM signal (MM-supp GABA). We find no relationship between MM-supp GABA and age in healthy children aged 7–14 years. These findings suggest that the relationship between GABA+ and age is driven by changes in MM levels, not by changes in GABA levels. Moreover, these findings highlight the importance of accounting for MM levels in MRS quantification.