Brain acidity and neurological disorders.
Researchers have found a link between brain
metabolic problems and a number of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative
diseases[1],
such as autism and Alzheimer's disease. This is the first and largest systematic
study to evaluate pH and lactate levels[2] in
the brain in various animal models.
It is noted that about 30 percent of the 2,294
animals studied in 109 different samples showed significant changes in pH and
lactate levels. This means that such disorders are characteristic of many
neuropsychiatric diseases.
In animal models representing depression caused
by stress, diabetes, or colitis, a consistent pattern of decreased brain pH and
increased lactate levels was observed.
In autism models, different reactions were
observed: some showed an increase in pH and a decrease in lactate levels, while
others showed the opposite pattern.
And in behavioural tests, the team noted a
strong link between high lactate levels and impaired working memory. At the
same time, lactate production is necessary for memory formation, so a decrease
in its level can also contribute to dysfunction.
Scientists have concluded that changes in brain
pH and lactate levels may be biological markers of neuropsychiatric disorders
accompanied by cognitive impairment.