Sex, GABA, and nicotine: The impact of smoking on cortical GABA levels across the menstrual cycle as measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Taken together with previous 1H-MRS data showing abnormalities in occipital cortex GABA concentrations in several affective disorders, our preliminary finding that nicotine modulation of GABA levels varies by sex provides a further rationale for investigating the impact of nicotine on central GABAergic function as a potential risk factor for women to experience depressive symptoms during smoking cessation.