title: No change in striatal glutamate in Huntington's disease measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
abstract: The combined caudate head and anterior putamen of six patients with Huntington's disease (HD) was studied by quantitative magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and the spectra compared with those from a group of six age-matched normal subjects. The concentrations of the three major metabolites, choline, creatine and N-acetylaspartate (NAA), were quantified using tissue water as an internal concentration reference. Glutamate concentration was assessed as the (glutamate+glutamine)/creatine peak area ratio (Glx/Cre). In normal subjects the mean (+/-SD) concentrations of the three metabolites were 1.8+/-0.4mumol/g wet weight for choline, 11.9+/-1.4 for creatine and 14.1+/-2.4 for NAA. The ratio Glx/Cre was 1.3+/-0.3. The concentrations of both creatine and NAA were significantly lower in the striatum of patients with HD, 8.9+/-1.5 and 12.1+/-1.5 respectively. There was, however, no difference in choline concentration or in the Glx/Cre ratio, 1.7+/-0.4 and 1.6+/-0.5 respectively. The results are discussed in relation to the mechanism of neuronal loss in HD.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Medical Physics, Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road, Hull HU3 2JZ, UK.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lowry
authors.forename: O W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Quarrell