METABOLITE CHANGES WITH AGE MEASURED BY PROTON MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY IN NORMAL SUBJECTS

To determine whether there are metabolite changes ill the left medial temporal and frontal lobes with aging, we performed proton magnetic re sonance spectroscopy in 36 normal subjects. The N-acetylaspartate/crea tine-phosphocreatine ratio in the medial temporal lobe tended to be de creased in subjects over 60 years of age. The ratio decrease ill the f rontal lobe related to aging was lower than that in the medial tempora l lobe. There were no significant differences in the metabolite ratios between males and females. These findings suggest that structures in the medial temporal lobe may be more susceptible to neuronal dysfuncti on associated with aging than those in the frontal lobe.