title: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the striatum in Parkinson's disease patients with motor response fluctuations.
abstract: We have performed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy centred on the putamen contralateral to the worst affected side in 10 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and motor response fluctuations and seven age matched healthy controls. In PD, there was striking reduction in the N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and creatine and NAA/choline ratios compared to controls. This pilot study provides in vivo evidence of striatal neuronal dysfunction in PD and further studies are in progress to establish if the observed changes are due to the disease process itself or due to chronic levodopa therapy.
authors.affiliation: The University Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London SE5, U.K.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lemmens
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Leigh