Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of putamen and substantia nigra in patients with Parkinson disease

Objective To evaluate the utility of the hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy(1H MRS) in the metabolism of the putamen and substantia nigra in patients with Parkinson disease.Methods 1H MRS was administered to 58 patients with Parkinson disease,and 40 volunteers,N-acetylaspartic acid/creatine(NAA/Cr),N-acetylaspartic acid/choline(NAA/Cho),and choline/creatine(Cho/Cr) in bilateral putamen and substantia nigra were determined.Results There was a significant reduction in NAA/Cr ratio in contralateral putamen to the worst clinically affected limbs of the patients with Parkinson disease compared with ipsilateral putamen and controls(P0.05).NAA/Cr ratio in contralateral putamen was 1.406±0.159,NAA/Cr ratios in ipsilateral putamen 1.502±0.446,and NAA/Cr ratios in controls 1.539±0.243.There were no significant difference in NAA/Cr,Cho/Cr,NAA/Cho ratio in substantia nigra between the patients with Parkinson disease and controls(P0.05).Conclusion 1H MRS can detect the reduction of the NAA/Cr ratio in Parkinson disease,which helps to Parkinson disease diagnosis.1H MRS can not show the metabolic changes precisely in the substantia nigra in patients with Parkinson disease.