RESEARCH: Dementia in Parkinson disease: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

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This is another type of brain scan called magnetic resonance spectroscopy

(MRS).

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Arch Neurol 2002 Sep;59(9):1415-20

Dementia in Parkinson disease: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

study.

Summerfield C, Gomez-Anson B, Tolosa E, Mercader JM, Marti MJ, Pastor P,

Junque C.

Department of Neurology, ICMSN, Hospital Clinic, Casanova 143, 08036

Barcelona, Spain. etolosa@...

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been shown to be useful in

differentiating idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD) from atypical parkinsonian

syndromes such as progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy,

and corticobasal degeneration. OBJECTIVE: To systematically investigate the

utility of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in distinguishing between

idiopathic PD with dementia (PDD) and without dementia. DESIGN: Group

comparisons and correlations of brain metabolites with clinical and

neuropsychological variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Metabolite

concentrations were acquired from voxels localized to the basal ganglia and

occipital cortex in 14 patients diagnosed as having idiopathic PDD, 12

patients with PD without dementia, and 13 matched control subjects. The 3

groups underwent clinical and neuropsychological assessment. RESULTS: In the

occipital region, N-acetylaspartate levels were significantly reduced in the

PDD group relative to the PD and control groups. N-acetylaspartate values

correlated with neuropsychological performance but not with severity of

motor impairment. CONCLUSIONS: N-acetylaspartate reduction in occipital

lobes may be a marker for dementia in PD. The distribution of metabolite

reduction differs from that reported in Alzheimer disease. These findings

suggest that proton spectroscopy may serve as a metabolic marker of

cognitive disturbance in patients with PD.

PMID: 12223027 [PubMed - in process]