Abstract
To study the neurobiochemical changes in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by multivoxel 1H-MRS.
Twenty-five patients with probable AD and 12 age- and sex-matched normal controls were subjected to assessment of cognitive functions by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and imaging with multivoxel 1H-MRS for measuring the NAA/Cho, NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, MI/NAA and MI/Cr ratios in the posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG) bilaterally.
Patients with AD showed significant decrease in NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr, significant increase in MI/NAA and MI/Cr and non-significant increase in Cho/Cr ratios compared to control. Also, the severity of cognitive impairment was significantly associated with these changes. The NAA/Cho ratio at a cut-off value ⩽1.14 showed accuracy (94%), the NAA/Cr ratio at a cut-off value ⩽1.40 showed accuracy (97%), the Cho/Cr ratio at a cut-off value >1.29 showed accuracy (85%), the MI/NAA ratio at a cut-off value >0.60 showed accuracy (98%), and the MI/Cr ratio at a cut-off value >0.83 showed accuracy (97%).
The multi-voxels 1H-MRS of the PCG is sensitive to biochemical changes in AD. The 1H-MRS peak metabolite concentration ratios may be useful as markers for the progression of AD.