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Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy,localized to the lentiform nucleus, was carried out in 7 patients with the pure or predominantly striatonigral variant(SND)of multiple system atrophy(MSA),5 patients with the olivoponto-cerebellar variant of MSA,9 patients with a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease(IPD),and 9 healthy age-matched controls. In vivo quantification of absolute metabolite concentrations was possible in 7 MSA patients and 6 controls and confirmed an absolute reduction of choline-containing compounds and NAA in the MSA group compared with controls with no significant difference in the creatine concentrations between the MSA group and the controls.The reduction of the NAA/creatine ratio from the lentiform nucleus in the MSA groups probably reflects neuronal loss,occurring predominantly in the putamen.Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a useful,noninvasive technique to help differentiate MSA from IPD. |
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