Task-related measures of short-interval intracortical inhibition and GABA levels in healthy young and older adults: A multimodal TMS-MRS study

TitleTask-related measures of short-interval intracortical inhibition and GABA levels in healthy young and older adults: A multimodal TMS-MRS study
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsCuypers K, Verstraelen S, Maes C, Hermans L, Hehl M, Heise K-F, Chalavi S, Mikkelsen M, Edden R, Levin O, Sunaert S, Meesen R, Mantini D, Swinnen SP
JournalNeuroimage
Volume208
Pagination116470
Date Published2020 Mar
ISSN1095-9572
KeywordsAdolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Functional Laterality, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Middle Aged, Motor Cortex, Multimodal Imaging, Neural Inhibition, Psychomotor Performance, Receptors, GABA-A, Sensorimotor Cortex, Time Factors, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Young Adult
Abstract

Establishing the associations between magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)-assessed gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-derived 'task-related' modulations in GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition and how these associations change with advancing age is a topic of interest in the field of human neuroscience. In this study, we identified the relationship between GABA levels and task-related modulations in GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition in the dominant (left) and non-dominant (right) sensorimotor (SM) cortices. GABA levels were measured using edited MRS and task-related GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition was measured using a short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) TMS protocol during the preparation and premotor period of a choice reaction time (CRT) task in 25 young (aged 18-33 years) and 25 older (aged 60-74 years) adults. Our results demonstrated that GABA levels in both SM voxels were lower in older adults as compared to younger adults; and higher SM GABA levels in the dominant as compared to the non-dominant SM voxel pointed to a lateralization effect, irrespective of age group. Furthermore, older adults showed decreased GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition in the preparation phase of the CRT task within the dominant primary motor cortex (M1), as compared to young adults. Finally, results from an exploratory correlation analysis pointed towards positive relationships between MRS-assessed GABA levels and TMS-derived task-related SICI measures. However, after correction for multiple comparisons none of the correlations remained significant.

DOI10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116470
Alternate JournalNeuroimage
PubMed ID31863914
PubMed Central IDPMC9652063
Grant ListP41 EB015909 / EB / NIBIB NIH HHS / United States
R01 EB016089 / EB / NIBIB NIH HHS / United States