Age-Related Changes in Cerebrospinal Fluid γ-Aminobutyric Acid Concentration

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of aging on brain γ-aminobutyric acid metabolism. We measured the cerebrospinal fluid γ-aminobutyric acid concentration in subjects of various ages, including healthy volunteers and patients without neurological or psychiatric disease. The cerebrospinal fluid γ-aminobutyric acid concentration was determined by radiolabelled receptor assay using [ 3 Hty-aminobutyric acid. Cerebrospinal fluid γ-aminobutyric acid was significantly higher in the control group (20s and 30s) than in the groups of subjects in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. There was a significant negative correlation between cerebrospinal γ-aminobutyric acid concentration and age (p < 0.01). These data suggest that dysfunction of brain γ-aminobutyric acid metabolism increases with age, and that the various symptoms caused by abnormal γ-aminobutyric acid metabolism in the brain are therefore more likely to appear in elderly people. T ^ , ^ (4, 5). Other studies have also shown low cerebrospiIntroduction , « .« t j r r nal fluid γ-aminobutyric acid concentrations in Hun-γ-Aminobutyric acid is thought to be a major inhib-tington's disease (6) and Alzheimer's disease (7). Cereitory neurotransmitter. Biochemical studies have re-brospinal fluid is believed to be formed in the choroid vealed that the content of γ-aminobutyric acid is much plexus and is in contact with both the brain and the lower than normal in the striatum and substantia spinal cord. Total cerebrospinal fluid γ-aminobutyric nigra of autopsied brains from patients with Hunting-acid concentrations are related primarily to brain γ-ton's disease (1), and the association between neuro-aminobutyric acid concentrations and are minimally psychiatric diseases and the brain γ-aminobutyric acid affected by changes in the peripheral γ-aminobutyric system has been studied (2, 3). Radiolabelled receptor acid concentration (8). Changes in cerebrospinal fluid assays can be used to observe changes in neurotrans-γ-aminobutyric acid concentrations may therefore remission. Recently, γ-aminobutyric acid was reliably fleet changes in brain γ-aminobutyric acid metabomeasured in cerebrospinal fluid by a γ-aminobutyric lism. acid radiolabelled receptor assay, and it was shown As the proportion of aged people in the Japanese that this value can be used as an index of the function population increases, their medical problems are reof the brain γ-aminobutyric acid system. We used the ceiving more attention. Among these are neurological γ-aminobutyric acid radiolabelled receptor assay and disorders, including choreatic movement and demenfound abnormally low concentrations of cerebrospi-tia. In the present study, we measured cerebrospinal nal fluid γ-aminobutyric acid in patients with neuro-fluid γ-aminobutyric acid concentrations, using a rapsychiatric diseases, including presenile dementia, diolabelled receptor assay, to determine whether γ-Parkinsorfs disease, Huntingtorfs disease, olivoponto-aminobutyric acid metabolism changes during normal cerebellar atrophy and late...

Simultaneity and Temporal Order Judgments Are Coded Differently and Change With Age: An Event-Related Potential Study

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GABAB binding sites in early adult and aging rat brain

“…A number of GABAergic parameters have been reported to undergo changes during aging. Cerebrospinal fluid GABA levels decrease with age in humans (19,37) and rat brain GABA levels have been reported either to remain stable (10) or decrease with age (2). Contradictory studies have reported both increased (36) and decreased (43) highaffinity GABA uptake in aged rat brain.…”