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Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in the Monitoring of Multiple Sclerosis
Author(s) -
Narayana Ponnada A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1177/1051228405284200
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , gliosis , medicine , remyelination , choline , magnetic resonance imaging , pathology , in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy , neuroscience , pathogenesis , nuclear magnetic resonance , myelin , central nervous system , biology , radiology , immunology , physics
In addition to providing information on tissue structure, magnetic resonance (MR) technology offers the potential to investigate tissue metabolism and function. MR spectroscopy (MRS) offers a wealth of data on the biochemistry of a selected brain tissue volume, which represent potential surrogate markers for the pathology underlying multiple sclerosis (MS). In particular, the N ‐acetylaspartate peak in an MR spectrum is a putative marker of neuronal and axonal integrity, and the choline peak appears to reflect cell‐membrane metabolism. On this basis, a diminished N ‐acetylaspartate peak is interpreted to represent neuronal/axonal dysfunction or loss, and an elevated choline peak represents heightened cell‐membrane turnover, as seen in demyelination, remyelination, inflammation, or gliosis. Therefore, MRS may provide a unique tool to evaluate the severity of MS, establish a prognosis, follow disease evolution, understand its pathogenesis, and evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic interventions, which complements the information obtained from the various forms of assessment made by conventional MR imaging.