Mobility and locomotor impairments have high prevalence, morbidity, and
significant mortality in older adult populations. Cerebellar functional changes
have been implicated in the pathogenesis of these age-related mobility and gait
deficits unrelated to stroke, Parkinsonâs disease, or degenerative joint
disease. We thus examined total cerebellar glutamate, glutamine, GABA, glycine,
dopamine, norepinephrine, tryptophan, serotonin, alanine, threonine, and
asparagine content from male 2â3-month (young, n
= 6) and 21â24-month-old (aged, n = 6)
C57BL/6 mice. Neurotransmitter and amino acid concentrations were
determined by high-performance liquid chromatography followed with mass
spectroscopy. We found a significant increase in cerebellar serotonin in aged
versus young mice, but otherwise no significant phenotypic differences in
measured neurotransmitter concentrations. Applying current thought about
cerebellar aging and cerebellar serotonergic systems, we consider how this
age-related increase in cerebellar serotonin may contribute to gait ataxia.