Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy detects a relative decrease of N-acetylaspartate in the hippocampus of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the cerebral metabolic changes in dementia with Lewy bodies patients.


METHODS
The metabolic ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr in bilateral hippocampus were determined by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 8 patients and 8 age-matched healthy controls.


RESULTS
Dementia with Lewy bodies patients showed significantly lower NAA/Cr ratios in bilateral hippocampus, while the Cho/Cr ratio did not differ from the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show relatively decrease of N-acetylaspartate in the hippocampus of patients with early or intermediate stage DLB. Hence, damage of neurons seems to be an early alteration in DLB.
Xuan
Xiaqing
X
Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Ding
Meiping
M
Gong
Xiangyang
X
D000368:Aged; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D003704:Dementia / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000201:enzymology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011522:Protons
D011522:Protons; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline