Our findings showed significant differences in lactate and myo-inositol concentration values in the hippocampus of the aged rats as compared to the same area of the young adult group under normoxic conditions. After hypoxia-ischemia (HI), the most relevant changes in metabolite concentrations were found in the hippocampal region of both young and aged groups as compared to their age-matched controls. Of the three brain areas under investigation, the hippocampus proved to be particularly susceptible to the prolonged hypoxia-ischemia perturbation. The effects were more evident in the aged animals.