Premium
Localized Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of the Cerebellum in Detoxifying Alcoholics
Author(s) -
Seitz Dietmar,
Widmann Uwe,
Seeger Uwe,
Nägele Thomas,
Klose Uwe,
Mann Karl,
Grodd Wolfgang
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1999.tb04038.x
Subject(s) - proton magnetic resonance , cerebellum , nuclear magnetic resonance , spectroscopy , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , neuroscience , psychology , physics , radiology , quantum mechanics
An increased daily alcohol consumption results in neurological symptoms and morphological central nervous system changes, e.g. shrinkage of the frontal lobes and the cerebellar vermis. Brain shrink‐age can be due to neuronal loss, gliosis, or alterations of (cell) membrane constitutes/myelin. Neuronal, glial, and metabolic change can be measured in vivo with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A total of 11 alcoholics and 10 age‐matched volunteers were examined by magnetic resonance imaging and localized magnetic resonance spectroscopy at an echo time of 135 and 5 msec. Pea integral values were calculated for N‐acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myo‐inositol (ml), glutamate/glutamine (Glx), and normalize to phosphocreatine/creatine (Cr). Patients had a significant shrink‐age of the cerebellar vermis. NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios were r duced in both sequences, but the NAA/Cr reduction was only significant in long echo time, although the Cho/Cr reduction WAS significant in short echo time. The ml/Cr and Glx/Cr ratios did not show any significant difference between volunteers and patients. The decrease of NAA/Cr in alcohol dependent patients is consistent with neuronal loss. The Cho/Cr decrease and an unchanged ml/C may reflect cell membrane modification or myelin alterations alcohol‐dependent patients. These changes lead to brain shrinkage although hydration effects and gliosis are less likely.