Surviving and Thriving

We all grow old—if we’re lucky! If we’re even luckier we age well. What can the oldest-old (people over 85) tell us about successful aging? Aging and the brain has long been of special interest to neuroimaging—including magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)— both for its relevance to neurodegenerative disorders and for its own sake. In this week’s seminar we will see brand-new results of a major multicenter MRS study of successful aging in the (dementia-free) oldest-old. Key findings concern the neurometabolite gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and a substance that notoriously declines with age in many MRS studies. But can we hold onto our GABA, if we age well?

Our speaker, Dr. Eric Porges, is a highly adept MR spectroscopist. He has effectively used MRS to study alcohol use disorder, HIV, PTSD, neurostimulatory therapies, and more. But his main specialty is aging and the brain—both factors that accelerate brain aging and successful aging as well. Join us and learn where we may be headed in life—if we’re lucky!