Novak Tom S, McGregor Keith M, Krishnamurthy Lisa C, Evancho Alexandra, Mammino Kevin, Walters Courtney E, Weber Ashton, Nocera Joe R
Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Birmingham VA Health Care System, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Neurosci Insights. 2024 Sep 26;19:26331055241285880. doi: 10.1177/26331055241285880. eCollection 2024.
The global growth of an aging population is expected to coincide with an increase in aging-related pathologies, including those related to brain health. Thus, the potential for accelerated cognitive health declines due to adverse aging is expected to have profound social and economic implications. However, the progression to pathological conditions is not an inevitable part of aging. In fact, engaging in activities that improve cardiovascular fitness appears to be a means that offers the benefits of maintaining and/or improving cognitive health in older age. However, to date, the underlying mechanisms responsible for improved central nervous system health and function with exercise are not yet fully elucidated. Consequently, there is considerable interest in studies aimed at understanding the neurophysiological benefits of exercise on aging. One such area of study suggests that the improvements in brain health via exercise are, in part, driven by the recovery of inhibitory processes related to the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In the present review, we highlight the opposing effects of aging and exercise on cortical inhibition and the GABAergic system's functional integrity. We highlight these changes in GABA function by reviewing work with in vivo measurements: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). We also highlight recent and significant technological and methodological advances in assessing the GABAergic system's integrity with TMS and MRS. We then discuss potential future research directions to inform mechanistic GABA study targeted to improve health and function in aging. We conclude by highlighting the significance of understanding the effects of exercise and aging, its influence on GABA levels, and why a better understanding is crucial to allow for more targeted and effective interventions aimed to ultimately improve age-related decline in aging.
预计全球人口老龄化的增长将与衰老相关疾病的增加同时出现，包括那些与大脑健康相关的疾病。因此，由于不良衰老导致认知健康加速衰退的可能性预计将产生深远的社会和经济影响。然而，发展为病理状态并非衰老不可避免的一部分。事实上，从事改善心血管健康的活动似乎是一种在老年时维持和/或改善认知健康的有益方式。然而，迄今为止，运动改善中枢神经系统健康和功能的潜在机制尚未完全阐明。因此，人们对旨在了解运动对衰老的神经生理益处的研究非常感兴趣。一项此类研究领域表明，运动对大脑健康的改善部分是由与神经递质γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）相关的抑制过程的恢复所驱动的。在本综述中，我们强调衰老和运动对皮质抑制以及GABA能系统功能完整性的相反影响。我们通过回顾体内测量的研究来突出GABA功能的这些变化：经颅磁刺激（TMS）和磁共振波谱（MRS）。我们还强调了在使用TMS和MRS评估GABA能系统完整性方面最近取得的重大技术和方法进展。然后，我们讨论未来潜在的研究方向，以为旨在改善衰老健康和功能的GABA机制研究提供信息。我们在结尾强调了理解运动和衰老的影响、其对GABA水平的影响的重要性，以及为什么更好的理解对于制定更有针对性和有效的干预措施以最终改善衰老相关衰退至关重要。
