Anterior cingulate GABA levels predict whole-brain cerebral blood flow

•Anterior cingulate GABA levels were inversely correlated with cerebral blood flow.•Posterior cingulate GABA levels were not related to CBF.•Glutamate levels were not related to CBF.•GABA-mediated inhibition from the AC may influence CBF throughout the brain.

This study examined the relationship of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate levels from the anterior and posterior cingulates (AC and PC) with cerebral blood flow (CBF) at rest. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements in the AC and PC and pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling data were acquired from 10 healthy controls. GABA levels from the AC were strongly inversely correlated with global (whole-brain) CBF (r = −0.91, p = 0.0015). GABA levels from the PC and glutamate levels from both regions were not significantly correlated with CBF. We hypothesize that GABA-mediated inhibition of AC activation of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine pathway may influence global CBF.