title: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in mild cognitive impairment: systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: Research using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can potentially elucidate metabolite changes representing early degeneration in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), an early stage of dementia. We integrated the published literature using meta-analysis to identify patterns of metabolite changes in MCI. 29 MRS studies (with a total of 607 MCI patients and 862 healthy controls) were classified according to brain regions. Hedges' g was used as effect size in a random effects model. N-Acetyl Aspartate (NAA) measures were consistently reduced in posterior cingulate (PC), hippocampus, and the paratrigonal white matter (PWM). Creatine (Cr) concentration was reduced in the hippocampus and PWM. Choline (Cho) concentration was reduced in the hippocampus while Cho/Cr ratio was raised in the PC. Myo-inositol (mI) concentration was raised in the PC and mI/Cr ratio was raised in the hippocampus. NAA/mI ratio was reduced in the PC. NAA may be the most reliable marker of brain dysfunction in MCI though mI, Cho, and Cr may also contribute towards this.
authors: Neuroimaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.tumati@umcg.nl.
authors: Shankar
authors: S
authors: Tumati
authors: Sander
authors: S
authors: Martens
authors: André
authors: A
authors: Aleman
mesh_terms: D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline
keywords: Alzheimer's Disease (AD); Choline (Cho); Creatine (Cr); Hippocampus; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS); Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Myo-inositol (mI); N-Acetyl Aspartate (NAA); Paratrigonal white matter; Posterior cingulate