Studies have been carried out on the effects of aging on cerebral protein synthesis and glucose utilization in rats. With the application of local methods developed in this laboratory, discrete regions of the brain can be examined in normal conscious animals. The regional changed in glucose utilization indicate entire sensory pathways are affected by the aging process. The fact that similar changes are found in the same pathways with respect to protein synthesis suggests that some of these changes reflect an adaptation of the nervous system to a chronic lack of input. The age- dependent decreases in glucose utilization found in the striatum have been followed up with studies of the effects of aging on the metabolic responsiveness to the dopaminergic agonist, apomorphine.
