Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (Mrs) in the brain and aging/intelligence - metabolomics, NAAG levels

[AlexKChen]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S105381192200951X

Brain neurochemistry studied with in vivo MRS: aging, Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors.

Association of Missense Mutation in FOLH1 With Decreased NAAG Levels and...

NAAG

MRS can be conducted at high magnetic field strengths (typically 11–14 T) on body fluids, cell extracts and tissue samples

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We hypothesized that genetic variation associated with less FOLH1 expression would be associated with higher NAAG levels in human brain, as measured by high-field magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Additionally, we hypothesized that higher NAAG levels, and the genetic variant associated with lower FOLH1 and higher NAAG, would be associated with better cognitive performance and more efficient cortical activity during working memory, as assayed with functional MRI (fMRI

[AlexKChen]

NAA levels in the CSO were not significantly associated with visual memory factor scores or any other cognitive factor scores or IQ (see Table S5 in the online supplement). The NAAG:NAA ratio in the CSO was associated with higher visual memory factor scores, although statistical significance did not survive correction for multiple comparisons (p=0.0212). The NAAG:NAA ratio in the CSO did not significantly correlate with other cognitive factor scores or IQ (see Table S6 in the online supplement).