Brain N -acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate is associated with cognitive function in older virally suppressed people with HIV.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Cognitive impairment persists in virally suppressed people with HIV (VS-PWH) especially in higher order domains. One cortical circuit, linked to these domains, is regulated by N -acetyl-aspartyl glutamate (NAAG), the endogenous agonist of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 3. The enzyme glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) catabolizes NAAG and is upregulated in aging and disease. Inhibition of GCPII increases brain NAAG and improves learning and memory in rodent and primate models.

Design

As higher order cognitive impairment is present in VS-PWH, and NAAG has not been investigated in earlier magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies (MRS), we investigated if brain NAAG levels measured by MRS were associated with cognitive function.

Methods

We conducted a re

SUBMITTER: Wiseman RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11062820 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature