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

[Aracelis]

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

ROFL

[Aracelis]

And why was RA not included in your original post? Must need a little of general_re's GABA. Wait a moment dear, let me get the door for you...here's your cane...

[paul51]

Thanks for the info

[rightofrush]

As it is one the simplier of amino acids, gama aminobutyric acid should not be very expensive.

[whipitgood]

I wonder what the long term effect of using GABA will be on the body? I heard that using melatonin, for instance, causes the body to stop producing its own melatonin. I wouldn't want to end up dependent on some drug or supplement for the rest of my life.

[templar]

Sounds like a miracle weight loss pill, although I haven't heard it touted as such

I don't think that would be a good primary purpose for taking it, as it doesn't address whatever the problem causing overweight. I've personally only lost about 15 pounds before having the weight loss stabilize (I'm 6'4" and now weigh about 212. still a real porker, I know, but I'm 55 and have an excuxe). I know another man who lost 15 pounds the first week and then had the loss rate drop to only about a pound a day for the next three weeks before stabilizing (he had qute a bit of fat, still does. about 100# too much). The niacin like flushing and the feeling of being short of breath after taking a large dose will cause most people to quit using it before realizing the full GH benefits. OTOH, smaller doses over a longer period of time may have similar but slower results (I havent tried such, but some commercial GH releaser formulations use miliigram doses in their formula). It also promotes a very deep and restfull sleep with abundant energy in the morning (I totally lost my desire for morning coffee and no longer use it at all).

[FairOpinion]

I think taking anything "forever" on a regular basis is not really a good idea, if you can avoid it (I a not referring to regular medication, like blood pressure medication, which you need to take everyday).

I think they are finding that taking something for a period of time, sometimes taking it for a few weeks, then stopping or reducing the dose for a while, giving it some pause helps, or keep taking it, but not take it every day. I've known people who take melatonin, but only about 2-3 times a week and they say they get the benefit, without it stopping the body from making its own.

I think part of it is that you have to experiment on yourself to some extent, and always start with small dose to make sure you don't have a negative reaction, then build it up. Always safety first, and sounds like GABA can have some side effects, like flushing and shortness of breath, I don't know whether that means that it may affect the heart. You always should do some research, with the internet it's pretty easy, and find out enough to make sure that you don't have any condition, which could be worsened.

As I said in an earlier post, HGH is a "wonder stuff" for people in general, but it is harmful for people who have diabetes or glucose intolerance.

[PoisedWoman]

Resurrecting this interesting article to report that I purchased some GABA at an online source recommended by templar and had immediate response the first night I took a very low (I think) dose. I slept like a baby, woke up totally refreshed after six hours -- usually I need 9 -- and got much more than usual accomplished the next day....I'll see whether this effect is maintained after a week, a month, 90 days of taking GABA at night.

I checked it out because I'd been having trouble sleeping, keyed up prior to eye surgery. I got prescription for low-dose valium from my doctor. 2 mg Valium always produces an excellent night's sleep for me and a productive day following. But the idea of taking a drug is a bit scary, and my doc agrees about that. GABA is far less expensive.

[FairOpinion]

Thanks for reporting back on your experience.

Maybe I'll try it. Actually I kind of forgot about it, I am glad you pinged me.

Please let us know how you are feeling as you keep taking it.

What dose of GABA are you taking? After you get a good night sleep, does it make you sleepy during the day, or do you stay refreshed and sharp?

[FairOpinion]

Ping all who posted on this thread with PoisedWoman's first hand experience:

---

Resurrecting this interesting article to report that I purchased some GABA at an online source recommended by templar and had immediate response the first night I took a very low (I think) dose. I slept like a baby, woke up totally refreshed after six hours -- usually I need 9 -- and got much more than usual accomplished the next day....I'll see whether this effect is maintained after a week, a month, 90 days of taking GABA at night.

I checked it out because I'd been having trouble sleeping, keyed up prior to eye surgery. I got prescription for low-dose valium from my doctor. 2 mg Valium always produces an excellent night's sleep for me and a productive day following. But the idea of taking a drug is a bit scary, and my doc agrees about that. GABA is far less expensive.


48 posted on 06/10/2003 2:23 PM PDT by PoisedWoman (Fed up with the CORRUPT liberal media)

[PoisedWoman]

I purchased powdered GABA from BeyondACentury.com. Suggested use is 1/2 - 1 level teaspoon ( 1 - 2 grams) at bedtime. Because I KNOW I'm ultra sensitive to every kind of drug, I used only 1/4 teaspoon, the equivalent of half a gram. Would that be 500 mg? Your height and weight probably figures into the equation. I imagine that starting with a tiny amount and working up after a few days if necessary would be the safest plan. I do not know whether 500 mg will keep doing the job for me, and the possibility of needing more eventually is a bit worrisome. I need to talk to templar, who has more experience. Also with my doc...I'll send him a print-out of the New Scientist article you so graciously posted.

Yes, I had a terrific day afterward, though was ready to sleep early. Not a bad effect. In fact, GABA may convert me to an early to bed, early to rise person, which would be a boon.

[FairOpinion]

"I imagine that starting with a tiny amount and working up after a few days if necessary would be the safest plan."

---
Thanks. 500 mg sounds reasonable.

I think that is always the wisest thing. The first thing one wants to determine is that there is no side effect and you always want to use the smallest does, which does the job. You can build up to more later, but if that is sufficient to get the good effect, than for you a small dose is enough.

I always start out with smaller does than normal, when I try something new, because you never know what reaction you may have until you try it. Then there is plenty of time to work up slowly.

[templar]

Glad to see you're back in action. Keep us informed on how you respond to the GABA. You're initial results seem to indicate it will work well for you. BTW, ask you're doctor to check into the use of GABA as a replacement for valium. there have been studies done that indicate it is as effective as valium but is totally non-addictive with no drugging affect and has almost no negative side effects with a lot of positive side effects (it's too cheap for general use though, no profit in it). I'm not sure how it is administered for the valium substitution use, or in what dosages.

[southland]

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