Naming Is Associated with Left Temporal Pole Metabolite Levels in Neurodegenerative Diseases

• Published in: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2008-03, Vol.25 (3), p.212-217
• Main Authors: Rami, L., Caprile, C., Gómez-Ansón, B., Sánchez-Valle, R., Monte, G.C., Bosch, B., Molinuevo, J.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Amnesia - diagnosis; Amnesia - etiology; Amnesia - physiopathology; Anomia - diagnosis; Anomia - epidemiology; Anomia - etiology; Aspartic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Aspartic Acid - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular system; Choline - metabolism; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Creatine - metabolism; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Dementia - complications; Dementia - metabolism; Dementia - pathology; Female; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Original Research Article; Prevalence; Severity of Illness Index; Temporal Lobe - metabolism; Temporal Lobe - pathology; Ultrasonic investigative techniques
• ISSN: 1420-8008; 1421-9824
• DOI: 10.1159/000113728

Aim: To investigate the relationship between performance in language tests and levels of brain metabolites in two selected left temporal lobe regions. Methods: Ninety-five subjects were included: 26 controls, 30 amnestic mild cognitive impairment subjects, 27 Alzheimer’s disease and 12 frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) patients. Language was assessed by a naming test: Boston Naming Test (BNT) and by a semantic verbal fluency test. Other cognitive functions: verbal and visual memory, visual perception, attention and executive function, and praxis were also assessed. Single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy was obtained in the left temporal pole (L-TPOLE), and in the left posterior temporoparietal region (L-TPAR). Results: BNT scores were significantly associated with N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratios (r = 0.45; p < 0.001) and choline/creatine ratios (r = 0.33; p < 0.005) in the L-TPOLE. No significant associations were found between BNT and metabolite levels in the L-TPAR. No significant associations were found between the semantic verbal fluency test and other cognitive tests and metabolite levels either in the L-TPOLE or in the L-TPAR. Conclusion: Naming performance is related to metabolite levels in the anterior L-TPOLE.