The Important Role GABA Plays in the Brain

Narrator: The human brain is a vast and complicated network of neural pathways. These pathways carry the electrical impulses that cause the neurons in your brain to oscillate, creating what are commonly referred to as “brain waves.”

Description: As the narrator talks, simple line animations illustrate his words. It starts with a brain icon, zooming in towards the screen before revealing a complicated network of orbs and neurons sending smaller orb pulses between the nodes. The network fades away as three overlaying waveforms pulse across the screen like a heart monitor, one jagged and frantic, one large and slow, and one small and barely perceptible.

While there is much we still don’t understand about brain waves, the frequency or speed of theses oscillations is associated with many different functions. For example, low amplitude theta waves are linked to motor skills, and high amplitude gamma waves are linked to consciousness.

The three overlaid waveforms separate onto three rows and are emphasized as the narrator discusses them. A foot in running shoes steps across the screen above the slower and smaller waveform while he discusses theta waves, and then transitions to a head with an x-ray view of a brain as a lightbulb illuminates, illustrating an idea. This occurs all beneath the large and jagged gamma waves.

However, when it comes to stress, the brain waves we are most concerned about are beta waves. Beta waves are associated with concentration, active thought, and anxiety. It’s with these functions, in connection with beta waves, that GABA can play an important role.

Two beta wave representations animate onto the screen and are then replaced by abstract rectangular shapes representing concentration and then hexagonal shapes representing stress. These then switch to abstract GABA icons, which look like a circular cookie with one bite taken out of them.

The amino acid GABA, or gamma-Aminobutyric acid, is a major neurotransmitter. In fact, this amino acid functions as your brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter.* Inhibition is important because too much excitation in the brain’s flow of impulses can lead to irritability, restlessness, and sleep problems.

Text reveals the full name of GABA and then the icons shift to facilitate the connection between receptors and circular pulses, functioning as a go-between. The GABA and receptor illustrations vanish as circular pulses form a rotating circle around a fireworks-like burst of rays illustrating excessive excitation, which transitions into a stress icon, and then a sleep mask.

GABA provides this inhibition, acting like a “brake” during times of runaway stress.* A clinical study found that taking a GABA supplement, such as Thorne’s PharmaGABA, supports this effect.* 

A GABA icon appears and the impulse rotation which had been accelerating slows to a near stop. The array pans up and off the screen as a document icon animates upward as capsule icons drop down from above. 

Other studies have shown reduced pupil diameter, heart rate, and decreases in two natural biomarkers of stress all signs of achieving relaxation.* 

An eye icon with a shrinking pupil transitions into a beating heart, which shifts to reveal two abstract biomarker icons with decreasing rays. This then transitions to an array of the circular GABA icons, before revealing a bottle of PharmaGABA with the same texture as on the label animating outward from behind. As the narrator says the final words, a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen reads: “These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”

GABA provides natural stress-management support.* And you can count on Thorne’s PharmaGABA nutritional supplement to provide a natural-source GABA with the highest quality and purity.