Age-related brain changes in rhesus monkeys: a magnetic resonance spectroscopic study.
Brain metabolites were measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in five young (4-10 years of age) and six old (24-30 years of age) adult rhesus monkeys. The two age groups had similar levels of N-acetylaspartate and of choline relative to creatine, but the ratio of myo-inositol/creatine was higher in each old monkey than in any of the young animals. There was no significant relationship between the metabolite ratios and cognitive performance. The findings indicate that a consistent pattern of non-invasively detectable biochemical changes occurs in the brain with ageing. Whether these changes have functional significance in age-related pathologies, or are simply markers of brain ageing will be the subject of future studies.
Division of Neuroscience, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
J G
JG
Herndon
I
I
Constantinidis
M B
MB
Moss
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male
D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline