Old age's mental slowdown may be reversible (GABA)

NewScientist.com ^ | May 1, 2003 | New Scientist News

[FairOpinion]

The slowdown of the brain with old age is due to the lack of a brain chemical which helps neurons to be selective about what they respond to, reveals research involving the world's oldest monkeys.

Higher brain functions, such as visual recognition or understanding language, require the processing of information in the brain but decline as people get older. This decline appears to be due to a reduction in a neurotransmitter called GABA, say researchers, which means neurons with specific tasks become more easily fired by some other stimulus.

Macaque monkeys, with an age equivalent to 90-years in humans, were not as sharp as their younger counterparts in visual tests despite having perfect eyesight. But when they were given drugs to increase levels of GABA in the brain they improved vastly, say the team.

Delivering GABA calms the neurons down and they become more selective, says neuroscientist Audie Leventhal, at the University of Utah School of Medicine, who led the study. "They look the same as they did 20 years ago," he says.

Importantly, this suggests that mental decline could be easily treated, says Leventhal. "The fact is all the cells are still there and functioning, it's a transmitter problem - it's treatable," he told New Scientist.

Tranquillise and sharpen

The study is the first to show that increasing GABA or its effects can reverse mental decline, says Leventhal. But drugs that boost GABA's effects, such as benzodiazepines, are normally used to tranquillise brain activity not sharpen it.

"It is counterintuitive to say that in order to make Grandpa faster, slow down his brain. Nobody was really thinking about giving tranquillisers to an 85-year-old to perk him up - which is the implication of the study," he says. But he cautions that the team has done no research in human and that people should start taking the drugs themselves.

Peter Tyrer, a community psychiatrist at Imperial College London, thinks the findings are "very interesting and novel". He adds that doctors have sometimes observed a paradoxical effect of benzodiazepine drugs in which rather than calming down, people had become more alert and aggressive.

Making sense

The reason GABA is so important in the brain is that it works as a "gating" mechanism, explains Leventhal. By helping neurons to respond only to specific stimuli, it enables the brain to make sense of the vast quantity of incoming information.

However, as people get older the neurons in their brains increasingly fire non-selectively. Interpreting information then becomes like listening to "whispering in the discotheque as opposed to shouting in a quiet room," Leventhal says.

In the work with the young and old monkeys, his team examined neurons in the part of the brain's vision cortex associated with orientation and shape. He says this is analogous to the region used for vision in humans.

The researchers measured the neuronal responses in monkeys watching computer screens displaying various stimuli, such as moving horizontal lines or flashing dots. Certain neurons should only have been activated in response to specific stimuli - but this was not the case in the oldest monkeys.

When GABA and a GABA-enhancing drug were delivered to the brain cells, the team saw an improvement in the selectivity of neurons in the older animals within a couple of minutes.

Leventhal believes a lack of GABA as people age will not just affect vision but all higher brain functions. The team is now exploring the effects of GABA further and has filed patent applications for this new role of GABA-enhancing drugs in humans.

Journal reference: Science: (vol 300, p 812)

Shaoni Bhattacharya

[PatrickHenry]

Wise guy. If you're not at least ten years older than I am, the GABA is on me...

Just because I slip up now and then, and suggest that Harry Truman is still in the White House, there's no reason to call me a geezer.

[lizbet]

Wonder how this GABA would affect a person who has dementia or Alzheimer's disease?

I am interested in this stuff because my grandmother had dementia and now my mother has it and I don't want it!!!

[GovernmentShrinker]

She is on some special prescription medication for her condition, and it seems to help a lot. She's seeing very good doctors who are up on the latest research, so I wouldn't be surprised if they have her try benzodiazepine. She does have some other conditions being treated, so experiments in self-medication wouldn't be wise in her case.

[FairOpinion]

I suggest doing some research on the internet. I recall reading that there are some supplements out there, which claim to prevent, slow down, even reverse Alzheimers. I can't think of the names of a single one, but do remember some sounded quite credible. You can also search for supplements + Alzheimers, or check out some nutritional supplement sites and search there.

I personally think that the supplement industry is ahead of accepted medical practices, many of these things have been researched outside of the US, but those results are not accepted by the FDA.

One place you may want to search as a start, is:

http://www.lef.org

It's the "Life Extension Foundation" organization and I like them, because they don't just tell you some summary, but also give you specific medical paper references.

I went to their site and put in "Alzheimer's" and got a lot of articles. Check them out. The more you know, the more likely it is that you can do something to prevent it in yourself and maybe even help your Mother.

[FairOpinion]

"experiments in self-medication wouldn't be wise in her case."

Clearly not without her doctor's consent and cooperation, you don't want to mess something up.

But at the same time, some doctors are more open minded and willing to work with you to try something -- I am not commenting on her case now, but in general.

[Nick Danger]

You young'uns are screwed. When I was 21, I was smarter than anyone else alive, just like everyone else who is 21. The problem was, I didn't know anything.

Now I know all kinds of stuff, but I've gotten dumber every year. If this drug works, I can be 21 again, except I'll know now what I didn't know then. Look out!

[corkoman]

Wait just a second - that sure looks like bogus stuff. How many mcgs of the complete hormone are in the dosage forms?? Al that natural farmafoodical stuff is unregulated - how the hell do you know it has ANY active ingrediant???

[KC_for_Freedom]

When I knew everything, I was too young to get a job, now my son knows everything and I am trying like hell to get him into the work environment so he can fix everything.

Seriously, this is just one of many studies that will produce more youthful more vigorous "older" adults. Of course none of these things will come in time for me to enjoy them, perhaps my know it all son...

[FairOpinion]

"Seriously, this is just one of many studies that will produce more youthful more vigorous "older" adults. "

---

And it's in a nick of time too, just as Social Security is going bankrupt, older people will need the energy and mental ability to keep working and working and working. ;)

[Spirited]

You are right. LEF is a formidable institution and perhaps the only thing left between us and the FDA which intends that we don't end up with any choices at all.

Their March issue (which is online) had a series of heavy weight articles on why so many people are overmedicated and how you can safely reduce some of the meds.

Their research is outstanding and they have faced down and exposed the FDA in court on your behalf in order to preserve some semblence of the excellent health care system we used to have.

Gaba is obtainable as a supplement. The first time that I heard read about it was about 8-10 years ago in the work of an MD whose practice was with dyslexic and distractable children. She advised a mix of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, (including Gaba)etc. in powder form.

I take it at night when I think about it or when I need to calm down to sleep. One has to remember with supplements that it takes time for some to work well or properly and that since none of our bodies is cookie cuttered the same thing does not work the same way in all bodies.

[Mr. Mojo]

Well, where (or when) can we get some of this GABA stuff?

[yooper]

Well, I'm heartened by this. I may need GABA to collect my social security.

[templar]

The amino acid GABA has been shown in numerous studies to promote significant increases in plasma growth hormone levels.

GABA really does work as a GH stimulator (there are several other amino's that work also and I usually stack several of them together). It has to be used correctly to be of any GH value though, but some people take it for other reasons (tranquilizer type effect without being doped). To use as a GH stimulator it needs to be taken on an empty stomach about 2 hours before bedtime. the 5 gram dosages are excessive, IMO, and I've gotten as much results from 1.5 to 2 gram dosages as with higher ones. I used GABA for about 2 years before swithcing over to the GH spray about 7 months ago. The effects are both the same and they are diffferent. If you're trying to gain a lot of muscle fast, I think the GABA is more usefull, but the GH sprays seem to be faster at the age reversing process. In the near future I am thinking of trying a combination of the two, or a schedule of alternating one then the other (I would like to hear from anyone that has tried this apporach for suggestions).

GABA is cheap (if purchased from the right source) and the GH sprays are expensive (about twice as much per month). GABA has some unpleasant side effects that the sprays do not have including a niacin like reaction with flushing of the skin and a feeling of shortness of breath that occurs after taking a large dose and lasting for about 15 minutes. It isn't dangerous from all I've studied, but it is unpleasant at first and somewhat alarming if you aren't expecting it. GABA also has the undesired side effect of rapid weight loss if taken as a GH stimulator (the before bedtime useage) with loss of as much as 15 lbs/week occuring if used in relation to an excercise program. The weight loss seems to be entirely fat and not muscle, which is good for body builders prior to contests as it also seems to strengthen and harden existing muscle as well as building new mass; getting ripped is what I believe it is called. It isn't good if you are very thin to start with and can't afford to loose any fat.

[RLK]

There were a number of HGH studies on the elderly a few years back. After studying them it's my belief that administering HGH to the elderly at a value of about 10% of what it is in the teenage years would greatly retard aging.

[paul51]

works as a "gating" mechanism

I wonder if this has any possible implications for MS patients?

[FairOpinion]

"GABA also has the undesired side effect of rapid weight loss if taken as a GH stimulator (the before bedtime useage) with loss of as much as 15 lbs/week occuring if used in relation to an excercise program. The weight loss seems to be entirely fat and not muscle, which is good for body builders prior to contests as it also seems to strengthen and harden existing muscle as well as building new mass; getting ripped is what I believe it is called. "

Sounds like a miracle weight loss pill, although I haven't heard it touted as such. Your "undesired" side effect could be the highly desired effect of millions of people. Especially, since you say the weight loss is fat loss, not muscle loss.

[nutmeg]

read later bump

[FairOpinion]

"I wonder if this has any possible implications for MS patients?"
---

I don't know, but I don't think so. As I understand in MS the myelin covering the neurons is lost, and that's why they don't act normal.

However, I read some research, as in genuine medical papers, that B-12 especially and some other B vitamins in addition, help myelin formation, i.e. regeneration. B-12 is best when injected and as I understand it's pretty harmless, you can't overdose on it. They also have sublingual B-12.

It's another one of those things, that I consider, "it most likely won't hurt, but may help category" so why not try it.

I think some amino acids help as building blocks, especially if someone is not eating enough protein.

[FairOpinion]

After my reply saying that it probable doesn't work, I had second thoughts and put GABA and "multiple sclerosis" into Google, and looks like some articles say it may help.

Considering how devastating MS can be, it may be worth doing research and trying it.

But check out the B-12, because that actually helps heals the lesions.