Graeme F Mason PhD
Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and of Psychiatry; Director Metabolic Modeling and Director Psychiatric MRS; Director, Neuroimaging Sciences Training Program; Chair, Magnetic Resonance Research Center Protocol Review Committee
Research Interests
Alcoholic Intoxication; Alcohol Induced Disorders; Alcoholism; Amino Acids; Brain Mapping; Carbohydrates; CNS Diseases; Cocaine-Related Disorders; Fatty Acids; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Mood disorders; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Tobacco Use Disorder
Current Projects
Acute Effects of Ethanol on Human NeurochemistryImpact of Acute Nicotine on Human Amino Acid Neurotransmission
Effects of Heavy Drinking on Brain Energy Metabolism
Cerebral Metabolism of Ethanol
Research Summary
Dr. Mason's research program is focused on the development and
evaluation of quantitative hypotheses of brain energy utilization,
neurotransmitter metabolism, and function, as well as their application
to neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. Mason's primary methodologies are
1H and 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mathematical modeling of
metabolism and enzyme kinetics, and the effects of nicotine and ethanol
on GABA, glutamate, and energy metabolism form a primary research focus
for his program.
MRS
uses technology that is similar to that of standard MRI, but the results are measurements of chemicals instead of
images. The chemical measurements are used to
measure the effects of variability in function, disease, and
pharmacology on the concentrations of brain glutamate, glutamine, GABA
and other compounds that are important for brain activity.
Among
the most unique capacities of this laboratory is the ability to use MRS
to measure metabolic rates with the stable isotope 13C. It is possible
to observe the synthesis of glutamate, glutamine, GABA, and other
compounds in the intact brain. Measurements of the synthesis of these
compounds provide a direct evaluation of neurotranmission in the brain.
To plan experiments and evaluate data, mathematical simulations of
brain metabolism are used with a user-friendly package called CWave. As
theories are developed, new experiments planned, and new data obtained,
the models are constantly under revision and expansion.
The
goals of the laboratory are to acquire the necessary data and create
concrete mathematical expressions of the metabolic regulation of brain
metabolism. Such expressions will help understand basic biochemical
regulation, aid the development and evaluation of pharmacologic agents,
and predict the effects of functional perturbations on the health and
activity of the human brain.
Extensive Research Description
Dr. Mason's research integrates quantitative approaches to measure functional brain chemistry and the study of neuropsychiatric disorders. The primary methods used are 1H and 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as well as the mathematical assessment of metabolism. Current areas of research include depression, manic-depressive disorder, alcoholism, panic disorder, premenstrual syndrome, and post-partum depression. His primary areas of interest are the effects of alcohol and nicotine dependence on the brain, and to that end, my research programs evaluate acute and chronic effects of alcohol and nicotine on the brain, from the perspectives of neurotransmission, metabolism, adaptation, and vulnerability to dependence.
Selected Publications
- Gomez R, Behar KL, Watzl J, Weinzimer SA, Gulanski B, Sanacora G, Koretski J, Guidone E, Jiang L, Petrakis IL, Pittman B3, Krystal JH, Mason GF (2012) Intravenous ethanol infusion decreases human cortical GABA and NAA as measured with 1H-MRS at 4T. Biol Psychiatry 71: 239-246
- Patel AB, de Graaf RA, Rothman DL, Behar KL, Mason GF (2010) Evaluation of cerebral acetate transport and utilization rates in the anesthetized rat in vivo using 1H-[13C]NMR and [2-13C]acetate. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 30: 1200-1213
- Wang J, Jiang L, Jiang F, Ma X, Chowdhury GMI, Mason G (2010) Regional metabolite levels and turnover in the awake rat brain under the influence of nicotine. J Neurochem 113: 1447-1458
- Boumezbeur F, Mason GF, de Graaf RA, Behar KL, Cline GW, Shulman GI, Rothman DL, Petersen DL (2010) Alterations in brain mitochondrial metabolism associated with aging in humans. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 30: 211-221
- Mason GF, Petersen KF, de Graaf RA, Shulman GI, Rothman DL (2007) Measurements of the anaplerotic rate in the human cerebral cortex using 13C MRS and [1-13C] and [2-13C]glucose. J Neurochem 100: 73-86.
- Mason GF, Petersen KF, Lebon V, Rothman DL, Shulman GI (2006) Increased Brain Monocarboxylic Acid Transport and Utilization in Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes 55: 929-934.
- Mason GF, Petrakis IL, de Graaf RA, Appel M, Gueorguieva R, Guidone E, Coric V, Epperson CN, Rothman DL, Krystal JH (2006) Cortical GABA Levels and the Recovery from Alcohol Dependence: Preliminary Evidence of Modification by Cigarette Smoking. Biol Psychiatry 59: 85:93.
- de Graaf RA, Mason GF, Patel AB, Rothman DL, Behar KL (2004) Regional glucose metabolism and glutamatergic neurotransmission in rat brain in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101: 12700-12705.
- Sanacora G, Blumberg H, Rothman DL, Krystal JH, Mason GF (2004) Subtype-specific alterations of aminobutyric acid and glutamate in patients with major depression. Arch Gen Psych 61: 705-713.
