A multicenter H-1-MRS study of the medial temporal lobe in AD and MCI

作者：Jessen F^*; Guer O; Block W; Ende G; Froelich L; Hammen T; Wiltfang J; Kucinski T; Jahn H; Heun R; Maier W; Koelsch H; Kornhuber J; Traeber F

来源：Neurology, 2009, 72(20): 1735-1740.

DOI：10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181a60a20

Objective: The need for biological markers of Alzheimer disease (AD) is constantly increasing. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1-MRS) studies have provided consistent evidence for a reduction of the neuronal marker N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in patients with AD. Within the German Competence Network on Dementia, we conducted a H-1-MRS study in patients with mild dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at four sites to investigate the multicenter feasibility of H-1-MRS.
Methods: In total, 130 patients with dementia (98 AD, 32 non-AD), 136 subjects with MCI (70 of AD type, 66 of non-AD type), and 45 unimpaired control subjects were included. Single-volume H-1-MRS of the left medial temporal lobe was performed at long and short echo times. Metabolites were quantified and metabolic ratios were determined.
Results: We found a significant reduction of NAA concentration in patients with AD as compared to healthy volunteers and compared to patients with MCI of AD type. NAA/Cr (creatine/phosphocreatine) was also lower in patients with AD compared to control subjects. NAA, choline compounds, and Cr were lower in patients with AD compared to patients with non-AD dementia.
Conclusions: We demonstrated the multicenter feasibility of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1-MRS) of the medial temporal lobe in mild dementia and mild cognitive impairment, which is a prerequisite for the application of H-1-MRS in large-scale clinical trials. Since the concentration measures of the metabolites are adjusted for brain tissue volume, these findings are indicators of biochemical pathology beyond brain atrophy. Neurology (R) 2009; 72: 1735-1740

• 出版日期2009-5-19
• 单位上海市精神卫生中心