Premium
1 H and 31 P magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain in degenerative cerebral disorders
Author(s) -
van der Knaap Marjo S.,
van der Grond Jeroen,
Luyten Peter R.,
Den Hollander Jan A.,
Nauta Jos J. P.,
Valk Jaap
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410310211
Subject(s) - creatine , atrophy , magnetic resonance imaging , white matter , cerebral atrophy , phosphocreatine , medicine , pathology , nuclear magnetic resonance , chemistry , radiology , physics , energy metabolism
Abstract Proton and phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain was performed in 35 patients with degenerative cerebral disorders: 24 patients had demyelinating (white matter) disorders and 11 patients had neuronal (gray matter) disorders. Four grades of demyelination and three grades of cerebral atrophy were distinguished by magnetic resonance imaging criteria. The spectroscopic data were compared with normal values previously obtained. With increasing degrees of demyelination, lower ratios of phosphodiesters to β‐ATP were found. This trend was statistically significant. Decreased phosphodiester–β‐ATP ratios occurred simultaneously with imaging abnormalities. The decrease in phosphodiester–β‐ATP ratio in demyelinated areas is attributed to white matter rarefaction. Increasing cerebral atrophy was accompanied by lower ratios of N ‐acetyl aspartate to creatine. This trend was statistically significant. The decrease in the N ‐acetyl aspartate–creatine ratio was demonstrated before the magnetic resonance images showed signs of cerebral atrophy in patients with neuronal disorders. As N ‐acetyl aspartate is located exclusively in neurons and their branches, a decrease of the N ‐acetyl aspartate–creatine ratio can be attributed to neuronal and axonal damage and loss.