Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in frontotemporal dementia

Elizabeth Coulthard; Michael Firbank; Philip English; John Welch; Daniel Birchall; John O'BRIEN; Timothy D Griffiths

doi:10.1007/s00415-006-0045-y

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Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in frontotemporal dementia

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in frontotemporal dementia

Elizabeth Coulthard, Michael Firbank, Philip English, John Welch, Daniel Birchall, John O'BRIEN and Timothy D Griffiths

Journal of neurology, Vol.253(7), pp.861-868

07/01/2006

DOI: 10.1007/s00415-006-0045-y

PMID: 16845570

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Abstract

This study of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) was carried out to determine whether MR spectroscopy can provide an in vivo marker for the neuronal loss and gliosis that occur in this condition. We compared spectra in frontal and temporal regions known to be affected early in the course of the disease with spectra in the parietal lobe that is spared until late stages of FTD. We were interested in the relative concentrations of two compounds, NAA (a marker of neuronal integrity) and mI (a marker of gliosis), expressed as ratios to creatine (a relatively stable brain constituent). MR spectroscopy was performed on the temporal, parietal, and anterior cingulate cortices of five patients with the established semantic dementia form of FTD, two patients with the frontal form of FTD and 13 age matched controls. Structural MRI and neuropsychometry were also performed. Patients with FTD had reduced NAA/Cr in frontal and temporal, but not parietal lobes. The two patients with the frontal form of FTD had increased mI/Cr in their cingulate cortices. These data show for the first time that MR spectroscopy can reveal regionally selective abnormalities in patients with FTD. This opens up the possibility of using MR spectroscopy as a clinical tool to identify earlier presentations of the condition.

Nervous System

Neurology

Biological and medical sciences

Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases

Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)

Medical sciences

Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry

Details

Title: Subtitle: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in frontotemporal dementia
Creators: Elizabeth Coulthard - North Tyneside General Hospital
Michael Firbank - North Tyneside General Hospital
Philip English - North Tyneside General Hospital
John Welch - North Tyneside General Hospital
Daniel Birchall - North Tyneside General Hospital
John O'BRIEN - University College London, United Kingdom
Timothy D Griffiths - University College London
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of neurology, Vol.253(7), pp.861-868
Publisher: Springer
DOI: 10.1007/s00415-006-0045-y
PMID: 16845570
ISSN: 0340-5354
eISSN: 1432-1459
Language: English
Date published: 07/01/2006
Academic Unit: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Record Identifier: 9984627327602771

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