Metabolite Difference Between Multiple System Atrophy of Parkinsonian Type and Parkinson's Disease Assessed with Quantitative Proton MR Spectroscopy

Hui You¹, Yan-Ping Zhao, Han Wang², Bo Hou, Feng Feng

The aim of this study is to assess the brain metabolic changes in patients with parkinsonian multiple system atrophy (MSA-P) parkinsons disease (PD). The subjects, including 45 controls, 27 PD and 40 clinically probable MSA-P patients, underwent MR spectroscopy in pons, basal ganglia and motor cortex. Our results suggest creatine concentration in MSA-P is not stable as presumed previously. Absolute concentration demonstrates metabolite changes more intuitively than concentration ratios. According to changes of individual metabolite, more sensitive concentration ratios may be defined. The metabolite concentration changes, especially in pons, may be valuable for differential diagnosis of MSA-P and PD.