Levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma during alcohol withdrawal

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is implicated in the biochemical pathophysiology of alcohol intoxication, dependence and withdrawal. We therefore measured GABA in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma from 14 male alcohol-dependent patients during acute alcohol withdrawal (day 1) and again after 21 d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatry research 1995-11, Vol.59 (1), p.137-144
Main Authors: Adinoff, Bryon, Kramer, Gerald L., Petty, Frederick
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Alcohol dependence
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium - cerebrospinal fluid
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium - diagnosis
Alcoholism - cerebrospinal fluid
Alcoholism - rehabilitation
Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning
Anxiety
Biological and medical sciences
Blood pressure
Blood Pressure - physiology
Blood-Brain Barrier - physiology
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - cerebrospinal fluid
Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase
Heart rate
Heart Rate - physiology
Humans
Liver enzyme function
Liver Function Tests
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neurologic Examination
Toxicology
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Summary:γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is implicated in the biochemical pathophysiology of alcohol intoxication, dependence and withdrawal. We therefore measured GABA in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma from 14 male alcohol-dependent patients during acute alcohol withdrawal (day 1) and again after 21 days of inpatient treatment (day 21). Plasma GABA levels on admission correlated with indices of liver function. When corrected for differences in liver function, plasma levels of GABA levels on day 1 were significantly higher than on day 21. CSF GABA concentrations were also significantly higher during withdrawal compared with concentrations after 3 weeks of abstinence. The change in plasma GABA levels correlated significantly with the change in CSF GABA levels, although there was no correlation between plasma and CSF levels at either time. These findings demonstrate that changes in CSF GABA may be reflected in plasma GABA, and they highlight the potential importance of the GABA system in alcohol dependence and withdrawal.
ISSN:0165-1781
1872-7123
DOI:10.1016/0165-1781(95)02739-4