Loss of Memory, Mental Functions in Elderly Linked to Declining GABA Levels in Brain Frontal Lobe

(This is a copy/paste of another article - not my work)

Declining levels of GABA, a primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the frontal lobe of the brain, may play a role in the age-related loss of higher cognitive functions in older humans, according to a new study. Led by Ronald Cohen of the University of Florida’s Center for Cognitive Aging, researchers report that older adults with lower levels of GABA in the frontal lobe – the part of the brain that controls emotional expression, problem solving, memory, language, judgment – performed poorly in cognitive tests compared to those with higher (i.e. normal) GABA levels.

The findings shed light on the role of age-related GABA decreases and suggest that declining frontal GABA concentrations may aid in predictiing neurodegenerative diseases. And while the exact cause of the relationship remains unknown, they suggests potential treatments and interventions that could increase GABA levels and potentially offset these changes.

In this study, ninety-four healthy older adults (average age of 73 years) completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which probes several domains of cognition. the researchers also measured GABA concentrations in the frontal and posterior cortices of each participant to target regions that are important for high level cognitive functioning.

The study supports previous reports of reduced GABA levels observed in healthy adulthood and revealed that concentrations continue to diminish into advanced age.

The analysis also found an association between reduced GABA concentrations in the frontal lobe and poor test scores. This relationship existed even after controlling for age-related changes in cognitive function and tissue atrophy.

The relationship between GABA concentration and MoCA score was not found in the posterior region, indicating the effect on cognition is specific to reductions in the frontal lobe rather than brain-wide changes in GABA concentrations.

Source: Eric C. Porges et al. Frontal Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Concentrations Are Associated With Cognitive Performance in Older Adults, Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.06.004