title: Conversion of MCI to dementia: Role of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
abstract: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a heterogeneous group of cognitive disturbances at high risk of dementia. The amnestic subtype (aMCI) might be a prodromal state of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this study is the identification, by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS), of modifications in brain metabolites able to detect subjects with aMCI at risk of conversion towards AD. Twenty-five subjects with aMCI and 29 normal elderly were enrolled; they underwent a comprehensive clinical and instrumental assessment, a cerebral 1H MRS scan to measure N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myo-inositol (mI) and creatine (Cr) in the paratrigonal white matter, bilaterally. After 1 year, 5 MCI subjects became demented (progressive MCI, pMCI). Their baseline levels of metabolites were compared with those evaluated in stable MCI (sMCI) and in controls. We observed a significant difference of the NAA/Cr ratio between pMCI (1.48+/-0.08) and sMCI (1.65+/-0.12) and between pMCI and controls (1.63+/-0.16) in the left hemisphere, suggesting that this metabolic alteration can be detected before the clinical appearance of dementia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Via Brunamonti 51, 06122 Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metastasio
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tarducci
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Filippo T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Feliziani
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherubini
authors.forename: Gian Piero
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Pelliccioli
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Senin
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mecocci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000647:Amnesia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002794:Choline / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline