title: Characterization of cerebral small vessel disease by proton spectroscopy and morphological magnetic resonance.
abstract: This study sought to investigate whether clinical and neuropsychological impairment in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) can be evaluated by proton spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) and structural magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Sixteen patients with CSVD and 15 healthy age-matched controls participated in the study. In addition to spectroscopic and structural MR examination all patients underwent a comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological investigation. Significant differences in between patients and controls were revealed by (1)H-MRS in the parietal white matter: decreased metabolic ratios of N-acetyl aspartate to choline (NAA/Cho; patients: 1.37 +/- 0.17, control: 1.72 +/- 0.25, p < 0.001) and of N-acetyl aspartate to creatin (NAA/Cr; patients: 1.41 +/- 0.15, control: 1.66 +/- 0.2, p < 0.01) indicated a pathological state. Evaluation of spectroscopic and neuropsychological data revealed a close relation between attentional impairment, i.e. delayed cerebral transmission time and decreased NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr (r = 0.62, p = 0.014). In sum, (1)H-MRS allowed a clear discrimination between patients with CSVD and age-matched normal controls. Moreover, comparisons of (1)H-MRS and neuropsychological data suggested that NAA metabolic levels, and particularly the delay in cerebral transmission time, could be potential predictors of the severeness of attentional impairment.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Leipzig, Germany. hund@cns.mpg.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hund-Georgiadis
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guthke
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: von Cramon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index