Journal
CEREBRAL CORTEX
Volume 26, Issue 3, Pages 1295-1301Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv296
Keywords
GABA; magnetic resonance spectroscopy; plasticity; tactile learning
Categories
Funding
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [SFB874-A1, SFB874-A5, SFB874-A8]
- DFG Research Unit [1581]
- Ruhr-University Bochum [FORUM- F767-12]
- Mercator Research Center Ruhr (MERCURE) [Pr-2010-0017]
- National Institutes of Health [P41 EB015909, R01 EB016089, R21 MH098228]
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Learning mechanisms are based on synaptic plasticity processes. Numerous studies on synaptic plasticity suggest that the regulation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a central role maintaining the delicate balance of inhibition and excitation. However, in humans, a link between learning outcome and GABA levels has not been shown so far. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy of GABA prior to and after repetitive tactile stimulation, we show here that baseline GABA+ levels predict changes in perceptual outcome. Although no net changes in GABA+ are observed, the GABA+ concentration prior to intervention explains almost 60% of the variance in learning outcome. Our data suggest that behavioral effects can be predicted by baseline GABA+ levels, which provide new insights into the role of inhibitory mechanisms during perceptual learning.
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