Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Jul;69(7):750-3.
doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.2280.

Reduced GABA concentration in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Richard A E Edden  1 , Deana Crocetti, He Zhu, Donald L Gilbert, Stewart H Mostofsky
Affiliations

Reduced GABA concentration in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Richard A E Edden et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012 Jul.

Abstract

Context: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by a deficit in behavioral inhibition. Recent evidence also suggests a deficit in cortical inhibition via the GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-ergic system.

Objective: To investigate the GABAergic component of ADHD using magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Participants were recruited through local schools, local pediatric and other community clinics, and through advertisement in regional publications. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed within the research institute.

Participants: Children (age range, 8-12 years) in a typically developing control group vs a group with ADHD were compared.

Main outcome measures: J-difference-edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 T was used to measure GABA concentration in a volume that included primary somatosensory and motor cortices.

Results: GABA concentration is reduced in children with ADHD compared with typically developing control subjects.

Conclusion: Our finding of reduced GABA concentration in ADHD is concordant with recently reported deficits in short intracortical inhibition in ADHD and suggests a GABAergic deficit in ADHD.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid). A, Location of the measurement voxel centered on the hand knob in primary motor cortex (as seen in the axial image). B, Typical edited GABA spectra from 1 child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 1 typically developing (TD) child, showing a well-resolved edited peak at 3 ppm. The coedited peak at 3.75 ppm represents total glutamate plus glutamine.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) concentration, showing the statistically significant effect of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. Asterisk indicates the statistically significant difference (P <.05); IU, institutional units; and TD, typically developing.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Tannock R. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: advances in cognitive, neurobiological, and genetic research. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1998;39(1):65–99. - PubMed
    1. Brown RT, Freeman WS, Perrin JM, Stein MT, Amler RW, Feldman HM, Pierce K, Wolraich ML. Prevalence and assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in primary care settings. [Accessed March 29, 2012.];Pediatrics. 2001 107(3):E43. - PubMed
    1. Barkley RA. Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. Psychol Bull. 1997;121(1):65–94. - PubMed
    1. Boy F, Evans CJ, Edden RA, Lawrence AD, Singh KD, Husain M, Sumner P. Dorsolateral prefrontal γ-aminobutyric acid in men predicts individual differences in rash impulsivity. Biol Psychiatry. 2011;70(9):866–872. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Boy F, Evans CJ, Edden RA, Singh KD, Husain M, Sumner P. Individual differences in subconscious motor control predicted by GABA concentration in SMA. Curr Biol. 2010;20(19):1779–1785. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances