Kwon Soo Hyun, Scheinost Dustin, Lacadie Cheryl, Benjamin Jennifer, Myers Eliza H, Qiu Maolin, Schneider Karen C, Rothman Douglas L, Constable R Todd, Ment Laura R
Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA.
Neonatology. 2014;106(2):149-55. doi: 10.1159/000362433. Epub 2014 Jun 26.
Preclinical data demonstrate that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons initiate connectivity in the developing brain.
The goal of this study was to compare GABA concentration and its relationship to functional connectivity in the brains of term and preterm infants at term-equivalent age.
Infants received both magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans at term-equivalent age. Whole brain functional connectivity MRI data using intrinsic connectivity distribution maps were compared to identify areas with differences in resting-state functional connectivity between the preterm and term control groups. MRS measured concentrations of GABA, glutamate, N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and choline; NAA/choline was then calculated for comparison between the 2 groups.
Preterm infants had lower right frontal GABA and glutamate concentrations than term controls and showed a significantly different relationship between connectivity and GABA concentration in the right frontal lobe. Preterm infants had a positive correlation between GABA concentration and connectivity, while term controls demonstrated a negative correlation between these two developmentally regulated parameters.
These results suggest that regional GABA concentrations are associated with normal and altered neonatal resting-state connectivity.
临床前数据表明，γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）中间神经元在发育中的大脑中启动连接。
本研究的目的是比较足月和早产婴儿在足月等效年龄时大脑中GABA浓度及其与功能连接的关系。
婴儿在足月等效年龄时接受磁共振波谱（MRS）和功能磁共振成像（fMRI）扫描。使用内在连接分布图比较全脑功能连接MRI数据，以识别早产和足月对照组之间静息态功能连接存在差异的区域。MRS测量GABA、谷氨酸、N-乙酰天门冬氨酸（NAA）和胆碱的浓度；然后计算NAA/胆碱以比较两组之间的差异。
早产婴儿右侧额叶GABA和谷氨酸浓度低于足月对照组，且右侧额叶连接性与GABA浓度之间存在显著不同的关系。早产婴儿GABA浓度与连接性呈正相关，而足月对照组这两个发育调节参数之间呈负相关。
这些结果表明，区域GABA浓度与新生儿正常和改变的静息态连接性有关。
