Cortical Brain Metabolism as Measured by Proton Spectroscopy Is Related to Memory Performance in Patients with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

• Published in: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2007-01, Vol.24 (4), p.274-279
• Main Authors: Rami, L., Gómez-Ansón, B., Bosch, B., Sánchez-Valle, R., Monte, G.C., Villar, A., Molinuevo, J.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Amnesia - complications; Amnesia - metabolism; Amnesia - psychology; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Aspartic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Aspartic Acid - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Cortex - metabolism; Cognition Disorders - complications; Cognition Disorders - metabolism; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Creatine - metabolism; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Disorders of higher nervous function. Focal brain diseases. Central vestibular syndrome and deafness. Brain stem syndromes; Emergency and intensive cardiocirculatory care. Cardiogenic shock. Coronary intensive care; Female; Gyrus Cinguli - metabolism; Humans; Inositol - metabolism; Intensive care medicine; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Medical sciences; Memory; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Original Research Article; Parietal Lobe - metabolism; Protons; Psychological Tests; Severity of Illness Index; Temporal Lobe - metabolism
• ISSN: 1420-8008; 1421-9824
• DOI: 10.1159/000107487

Aims: To investigate the relationship between verbal memory performance and brain metabolism as determined by proton spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) in selected cortical brain regions. To characterize metabolite abnormalities across the continuum of degenerative disease from mild impairment to dementia. Methods: 27 controls, 27 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients and 35 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. Verbal memory was assessed with the Text Memory Test, the Wordlist Learning Test (WL-Learning Test), and with a memory screening test, the Memory Alteration Test (M@T). Single-voxel 1 H-MRS was obtained in the posterior cingulate (P-CING), left temporal pole (L-TPOLE) and left posterior temporoparietal region (L-TPAR). Results: WL-Learning Test scores were inversely associated with myoinositol/creatine ratios (mI/Cr) in the L-TPAR (r = –0.404, p < 0.002). Negative associations were also observed between M@T global scores and mI/Cr in the P-CING (r = –0.42; p < 0.001), L-TPOLE (r = –0.34; p < 0.005) and L-TPAR (r = –0.46; p < 0.001). A positive association was found between M@T scores and N-acetylaspartate concentrations in the P-CING (r = 0.33; p < 0.003). Conclusion: Verbal learning performance is related to metabolic changes in cortical brain regions known to be involved in the neurodegenerative process of aMCI and AD.