SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Old age mental ailments such as poor speech, vision and mobility could occur because the brain is not getting enough of a certain chemical, scientists believe. Specialists believe the chemical GABA helps the brain stay at its peak, but appears to diminish in supply in later years. The findings come after studies on very old macaque monkeys, and drugs could prove the solution to boosting levels of GABA, according to the research by Audie Leventhal and published in the journal ***Science.*** Leventhal, of the University of Utah School of Medicine, said: "The good news is there are a lot of drugs around that can facilitate GABA-ergic function and maybe some of them will help." The team studied the visual functions of Macaque monkeys, which are among the oldest in the world, and whose sight deteriorates with age in a way similar to humans."

"When the brain is at its best it is able to pick and choose which signals to respond to but, in the monkeys, it was discovered that certain neurons lost their pickiness," seemingly because of a lack of GABA , DPA reported.

GABA and a GABA-enhancer introduced to the monkeys had a far greater effect on older ones compared with younger macaques.

Leventhal said the chemical could be boosted simply through drugs but emphasized no testing had been done on the elderly.

"Hopefully we can drum up a little interest and encourage other people who are trying to figure out how come their kids are smarter than they are now," he said.