title: Basal ganglia metabolite abnormalities in minor motor disorders associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minor motor disorders (MMDs) associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) predict HIV-1 dementia and death. Little is known about the time course and neuropathologic mechanisms of HIV-1 MMDs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between HIV-1 MMDs, as assessed by psychomotor speed, and metabolic alterations in the basal ganglia, as detected by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 32 HIV-1-seropositive patients (10 with no MMD, 8 with incipient MMD, and 14 with sustained MMD, assessed through electrophysiologic testing of psychomotor speed including contraction times; 29 treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy) and 14 HIV-1-seronegative control subjects were examined for cerebral metabolite abnormalities in the basal ganglia by means of magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3 patient groups showed significantly different ratios of myoinositol/creatine (P =.02) in the basal ganglia. Whereas patients with no MMD or incipient MMD showed normal ratios, patients with sustained MMD showed higher values for myoinositol/creatine as a sign of glial proliferation. No differences in N-acetyl compounds, indicative of neuronal loss, were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whereas metabolic alterations in the basal ganglia were not detected in patients with incipient HIV-1 MMD, patients with sustained HIV-1 MMD did have significantly altered metabolic spectra indicative of glial proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Postfach 10 10 07, D-40001 Düsseldorf, Germany. giesenhj@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: von Giesen
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wittsack
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wenserski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köller
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hefter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arendt
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline