What is GABA?

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    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and it plays a crucial role in relaxation and regulating depressive and sedative actions. It is also involved in visual tasks and emotion processing, and several drugs that mimic GABA's structure are used to treat seizures and convulsions.

    GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It fulfills a number of functions in the brain and affects nonneuronal tissues outside the brain. GABA regulates many depressive and sedative actions and is critical for relaxation.[1][2][3][4] Consequently, several drugs that resemble the structure of GABA (e.g., baclofen, gabapentin, and pregabalin) have been developed to treat seizures and convulsions. GABA is also involved in the neural regulation of visual tasks and emotion processing.[5]