Ruth L. O'Gorman1, Lars Michels1,
Richard Edden2, Ernst Martin1
1University Children's
Hospital, Zrich, Switzerland; 2Russell H. Morgan Department of
Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore,
MD, United States
Few studies have examined the normal inter-subject variability in MRS GABA and glutamate (Glu) concentrations with factors like age and gender. This study investigates age- and gender-related differences in GABA and Glu in a group of healthy adults. No significant age effects were seen, but GABA, Glu, and Glx (glutamate+glutamine) levels were significantly higher in the male participants. These significant differences are independent of the grey and white matter fraction in the MRS voxel and emphasize the importance of gender-matching for GABA and Glu MRS studies with mixed-cohort subject groups.