Application of Wavelet Transform in Detecting GABA Levels in Drug-naive Patients with Major Depression Disorder

Abstract

Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human brain. Alterations in GABA Level are associated with a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, noninvasive in vivo measurement of GABA is hindered by its low concentration and the presence of overlapping resonances. This paper proposed a novel method with wavelet transform to process typical MR spectrum. With this method, signal of GABA was successfully extracted from patients with depressive disorder and controls. Changes of GABA were also observed in patient group suggesting the feasibility of wavelet transform in processing of MR spectrum.