GABA Levels in the Brains of Blind People

GABA Levels in the Occipital Cortex of Blind Human Subjects

In blind individuals, the occipital cortex becomes capable of processing tactile and auditory information, a phenomenon described as crossmodal plasticity. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and a possible candidate to mediate this form of human plasticity. We intend to use magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure GABA and hypothesize that GABA levels in the occipital cortex of blind humans will be lower than in sighted controls. Such decrease could possibly mediate compensatory changes in the occipital cortex of the blind.

Objective

Early blind subjects exhibit better tactile acuity than late blinds or sighted individuals. The purpose of the study is the determine GABA levels in the human occipital cortex after long-term light deprivation (blindness).

Study Population

Our experiments will make use of early blind, late blind, and sighted control subjects.

Design

Subject will be identified and will receive clinical and neurological examinations at the NIH. MRS studies will be performed at NIH MRI Center with 3Tesla Magnet. Each subject head will be positioned in an adjustable holder (designed for minimal motion and maximal comfort) such that a flat coil lay just below the occipital cortex. The sequence has been described before [33]. The individuals who perform the data analysis will be blind to the purpose of the experiments.

Outcome measures

The concentration of GABA from the 14 ml voxel over the visual cortex will be measured. Edited proton spectrum of GABA will be compared with the edited sub spectrum of creatine for a concentration reference.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Vision; Blind

Detailed Description

In blind individuals, the occipital cortex becomes capable of processing tactile and auditory information, a phenomenon described as crossmodal plasticity. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and a possible candidate to mediate this form of human plasticity. We intend to use magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure GABA and hypothesize that GABA levels in the occipital cortex of blind humans will be lower than in sighted controls. Such decrease could possibly mediate compensatory changes in the occipital cortex of the blind.

Objective

Early blind subjects exhibit better tactile acuity than late blinds or sighted individuals. The purpose of the study is the determine GABA levels in the human occipital cortex after long-term light deprivation (blindness).

Study Population

Our experiments will make use of early blind, late blind, and sighted control subjects.

Design

Subjects will be identified and will receive clinical and neurological examinations at the NIH. MRS studies will be performed at NIH MRI Center with 3Tesla Magnet. Each subject head will be positioned in an adjustable holder (designed for minimal motion and maximal comfort) such that a flat coil lay just below the occipital cortex. The sequence has been described before. The individuals who perform the data analysis will be blind to the purpose of the experiments.

Outcome measures

The concentration of GABA from the 14 ml voxel over the visual cortex will be measured. Edited proton spectrum of GABA will be compared with the edited sub spectrum of creatine for a concentration reference.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment: 39

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 55 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:

All subjects must be between 18 and 55 years of age.

Healthy sighted volunteers. Legally blind subjects with blindness secondary to retinal lesions or eye removal acquired at ages earlier than 4 years old (EARLY) and after 13 years of age (LATE). The rationale for the distinction is based in our previous studies that indicate different magnitude of brain plasticity depending on the age of acquisition of blindness.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Exclusion criteria will be those of MRI procedures:

Pregnant women tested after urine pregnancy test.

Subjects with metal in the cranium except mouth.

Subjects with metal fragments from occupational exposure or surgical clips in or near the brain.

Subjects with blood vessel, cochlear or eye implants.

Subjects with increased intracranial pressure as evaluated by clinical means.

Subjects with cardiac or neural pacemakers.

Subjects with intracardiac lines and implanted medication pumps.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Micheva KD, Beaulieu C. Neonatal sensory deprivation induces selective changes in the quantitative distribution of GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the rat barrel field cortex. J Comp Neurol. 1995 Oct 30;361(4):574-84. doi: 10.1002/cne.903610403.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: February 11, 2002
• Study Completion: March 3, 2008

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 26, 2006
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 26, 2006
• First Posted (Estimate): July 27, 2006

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 2, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 30, 2017
• Last Verified: March 3, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Vision; MRS; Plasticity; GABA; Occipital; Blind
• Other Study ID Numbers: 020124; 02-N-0124