A severe compression craniocerebral trauma was induced in rats under short-term halothane anesthesia. The activity of pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes reduced significantly in the tissue of the damaged hemisphere, ALT activity increased sharply, AST activity grew slowly, the production of GABA in the glutamate decarboxylase reaction was slightly inhibited and its utilization in the GABA transaminase reaction was clearly accelerated. The GABA level in the nerve tissue showed a tendency to reduce, while the glutamate level had a tendency to increase. The observed changes are evidence that the inclusion of the GABA skeleton in the reaction of further oxidation intensifies, which may be of significance in compensation of the transport of the energetically oxidizing succinate and, possibly, in the formation of endogenous GABA possessing a stress-relieving effect.