title: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonian disorders.
abstract: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), localized to the lentiform nucleus, was carried out in 12 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD), seven patients with multiple-system atrophy (MSA), seven patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and 10 healthy age-matched controls. The study assessed the level of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine-phosphocreatine (Cr), and choline (Cho) in the putamen and globus pallidus of these patients. NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr ratios were significantly reduced in MSA and PSP patients. No significant difference was found between IPD patients and controls. These results suggest an NAA deficit, due to neuronal loss, in the lentiform nucleus of MSA and PSP patients. 1H-MRS is a noninvasive technique that can provide useful information regarding striatal neuronal loss in basal ganglia of patients with atypical parkinsonian disorders and represents a potential tool for diagnosing these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Neurology and Neuroradiology, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Federico
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lucivero
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iliceto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Mari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mezzapesa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarantino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lamberti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000473:pathology*; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000378:metabolism; D011522:Protons; D011699:Putamen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D011522:Protons; D010725:Phosphocreatine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007980:Levodopa; D003404:Creatinine; D002794:Choline