title: [1H-MRS of the hippocampus of psychogenic erectile dysfunction].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes of the hippocampus metabolites with MRS to provide some clues for exploring the possible underlying unrecognised factors and pathophysiological mechanisms of psychogenic erectile dysfunction (ED).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen cases of psychogenic erectile dysfunction and 15 normal volunteers (the control) were studied by a clinical 1. 5T MRI/MRS system. Proton multi-voxel spectroscopy imaging (1H-MRSI) was obtained from both sides of the hippocampus region. N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine and phosphocreatine (Cr) and choline-containing compounds (Cho) were determined and the ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr were calculated respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The NAA/Cr ratio was significantly lower in the ED patients than in the control (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the Cho/Cr ratio between the two groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychogenic erectile dysfunction may not be simply a functional disease. The hippocampus may be involved in the pathophysiology of psychogenic ED. The disease may have some previously unrecognised underlying aetiological factors and pathophysiological mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China. whybo88@sohu.com
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ji-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Cheng-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003401:Creatine / Q000032:analysis; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000032:analysis; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D010725:Phosphocreatine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine