Proton spectroscopy in Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment no dementia: a community-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the findings of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive impairment, no dementia (CIND) elderly from a community-based sample.


METHODS
Thirteen patients with AD, 12 with CIND and 15 normal individuals were evaluated. The (1)H-MRS was performed in the right temporal, left parietal and medial occipital regions studying the metabolites N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho) and myoinositol (mI). The clinical diagnosis was based on standardized cognitive tests - MMSE and CAMDEX - and the results correlated with the (1)H-MRS.


RESULTS
Parietal Cho was higher in control individuals and lower in CIND subjects. AD and control groups were better identified by temporal and parietal mI combined with the temporal NAA/Cr ratio. CIND was better identified by parietal Cho.


CONCLUSIONS
The (1)H-MRS findings confirmed the hypothesis that metabolic alterations are present since the first symptoms of cognitively impaired elderly subjects. These results suggest that combining MRS from different cerebral regions can help in the diagnosis and follow-up of community elderly individuals with memory complaints and AD.
Azevedo
Dionísio
D
Old Age Research Group, Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. dionisioazevedo@uol.com.br
Tatsch
Mariana
M
Hototian
Sergio R
SR
Bazzarella
Mario C
MC
Castro
Cláudio C
CC
Bottino
Cássio M C
CM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011522:Protons; D012111:Residence Characteristics
D011522:Protons; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline