Glutamate & Glutamine Concentrations by MRS in Adult Brain: Age & Sex Dependence

Florian Schubert¹, Christoph Wirth², Jeff Bierbrauer², Bernd Ittermann¹, Jrgen Gallinat²

The glutamate+glutamine level is altered with normal aging of the brain, and at higher field strength differential effects on glutamate and glutamine were shown. We determined the effects of age and sex on cerebral glutamate and glutamine concentrations in 118 healthy humans using MRS at 3T and a dedicated quantitation procedure. A significant sex-related difference of glutamate in hippocampus was detected, women exhibiting higher levels. An age-related decline of glutamate concentration in hippocampus and anterior cingulum was observed, whereas glutamine in the AC increased with age. The results add to growing evidence for gender-specific differences in neurotransmission, metabolism and structure.