Excitatory/Inhibitory Neurotransmitter Concentrations in the Lateral PFC and their Relationships with Myelination of White Matter Tracts

Middleton, Megan

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Excitatory/Inhibitory Neurotransmitter Concentrations in the Lateral PFC and their Relationships with Myelination of White Matter Tracts Public Deposited

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Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/3197xn53p

Abstract

During adolescence, both the myelination of the prefrontal cortex and the relationship
between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission undergo extensive modulation. Using
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) to measure neurotransmitter concentrations, the
current study focused on the dorsal and ventral regions of the lateral prefrontal cortex (l-PFC) as
these two areas have distinct functions. Disruptions in the excitatory and inhibitory balance of
the lateral prefrontal cortex have been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders and
neurodevelopmental issues. This current study aims to investigate the relationship amongst
adolescent individual difference in GABA+ and Glx (glutamate+glutamine) concentrations and
the integrity of white matter tracts connecting prefrontal regions to other regions of the brain,
which was indexed by fractional anisotropy (FA) of white matter tracts assessed through the use
of Diffusor Tensor Imaging (DTI). The results of this study reveal sex specific associations, in
which the female adolescents with higher dorsal GABA+ and mean neurotransmitter
concentrations showed higher FA in the right anterior corona radiata (r-ACR), and male
adolescents with higher dorsal Glx concentrations showed enhanced FA in the right
cingulum-hippocampus and decreased FA in the left cingulum-hippocampus. These findings
suggest a potential role for GABA and GLX in influencing structural connectivity during this
period of adolescent development. Further studies could determine whether these
neurotransmitter specific effects on white matter tracts might have had a potential impact on
individual differences in emotional regulation and cognitive processing during this
developmental time period.

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