Neurochemical changes in GABA+, Glx, and the excitatory/inhibitory ratio in the calcarine cortex with healthy aging.

ABSTRACT: Aging has been associated with widespread alterations in neural structure and function, but the underlying biochemical changes remain less understood despite recent neurophysiological work suggesting age-related alterations in the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance. In the current study, we used ¹H-MRS to quantify levels of excitatory (Glx: glutamate + glutamine) and inhibitory (GABA+: GABA + macromolecules) neurotransmitters in the calcarine cortex in 187 healthy adults (19-79 years-old). These neurotransmitter estimates were used to compute the E/I ratio, and all three parameters were examined for aging effects. Given our large sample, we also conducted supplementary analyses to estimate the concentration of secondary metabolites commonly implicated in aging, including total creatine (t

SUBMITTER: Salsano I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12757107 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature