Amino Acids in Blood Plasma of Young and Aged Adults.

Summary Plasma free amino acid levels have been determined for 27 geriatric individuals. Sixteen of the patients showed senile brain damage. Thirteen young adults comprised the control group. Comparison has been made between the 3 groups, normal geriatric, brain damaged geriatric, and normal young adults. In the 2 geriatric groups, there was no significant differences between brain damaged and non-brain-damaged; therefore, the data were pooled and compared with the young adult group. It was found that the ornithine concentration was significantly higher in the geriatric group.