Ruth L. O'Gorman1, Lars Michels1,
Richard Edden2, Daniel Brandeis3, Rafael Lchinger3,
Peter Klaver4, Ernst Martin1
1University Children's Hospital,
Zrich, Switzerland; 2Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology
& Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United
States; 3Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,
University of Zrich, Zrich, Switzerland; 4Department of
Psychology, University of Zrich, Zrich, Switzerland
The balance of neuronal excitation and inhibition is thought to determine the peak frequency of electrical oscillations in the gamma band. Resting GABA concentrations have been observed to correlate with the peak gamma frequency during stimulation, but the relationship between neurotransmitter levels and gamma oscillations at rest has not been explored. This study investigates the link between between GABA, glutamate, and peak EEG gamma frequency and power at rest. Glutamate was inversely correlated to the peak gamma frequency and power, lending support to recent theories that the peak gamma frequency depends on the excitation/inhibition balance between glutamatergic and GABAergic cells.