1H MRS brain measures and acute lorazepam administration in healthy human subjects

Neuropsychopharmacology. 2002 Apr;26(4):546-51. doi: 10.1016/S0893-133X(01)00388-8.

Abstract

The effects of acute lorazepam administration on 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in vivo brain spectra were examined in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) of healthy human subjects. We wanted to examine whether lorazepam administration would result in significant changes in the levels of 1H-MRS metabolites in this brain region. Ten healthy controls underwent a short echo-time 1H-MRS session immediately before, and a second one 1 h after lorazepam administration (2mg/orally). The measured 1H-metabolites included N-acetyl-aspartate, phosphocreatine+creatine, trimethylamines, myo-inositol, glutamate, and glutamine, which were expressed as absolute values and ratios. No significant differences were found after lorazepam administration for any of the measured metabolite levels or ratios (paired t-tests, p >.05). This study demonstrated that lorazepam can potentially be utilized to acutely sedate psychiatric subjects during in vivo 1H-MRS sessions, as it does not appear to produce significant changes in the 1H-MRS spectra in this specific brain region.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents / pharmacology*
  • Brain Chemistry / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lorazepam / pharmacokinetics
  • Lorazepam / pharmacology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Male
  • Prefrontal Cortex / chemistry
  • Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-Anxiety Agents
  • Lorazepam