title: Metabolic abnormality in the cerebellum in patients with essential tremor: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging study.
abstract: The pathological basis for essential tremor (ET) is unknown. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H MRSI) in 16 ET patients and 11 controls to measure levels of intracellular metabolites, including N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA) and total choline, relative to total creatine (tCR), in several brain regions (cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia). Multislice 1H MRSI data were acquired on a 1.5 T GE Signa Scanner by prescribing four 15-mm axial-oblique slices. The mean (standard deviation) cerebellar cortical NAA/tCR was reduced in cases compared to controls (1.53 [0.36] versus 1.91 [0.49], P = 0.03). There was an inverse association between cerebellar cortical NAA/tCR and dominant arm tremor severity (r = -0.59, P = 0.02). The reduction in cerebellar cortical NAA/tCR indicates that there is neuronal damage or loss in ET, suggesting that ET may be a neurodegenerative disease.
authors.affiliation: Gertrude H Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. EDL2@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Elan D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: Dikoma C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Shungu
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Xiangling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Eva C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Jurewicz
authors.forename: Dryden
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Watner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D020329:Essential Tremor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons