Neuronal cell injury precedes brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis.
Global brain atrophy estimated using MRI and whole brain N-acetylaspartate (WBNAA) concentration measured with proton MR spectroscopy were obtained in 42 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and 41 matched control subjects. Patients exhibited cross-sectional atrophy (0.5%; p = 0.033) and WBNAA decline (1.8%/y; p = 0.005) vs disease duration. The 3.6-fold rate disparity between the two processes suggests that neuronal/axonal dysfunction (N-acetylaspartate decline) precedes parenchyma loss, not its consequence (i.e., is an earlier, more sensitive specific metric of the ongoing disease activity).
Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Gonen
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Inglese
J S
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Babb
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Markowitz
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Grossman
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate