Conventional magnetic resonance imaging has limitations in differentiating Parkinson’s disease (PD) from essential tremors (ET). Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can non-invasively detect neurochemical alterations in biological tissues. In this study, we used MRS to obtain N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho)/Cr ratios in the substantia nigra (SN) of patients with tremor-dominant PD and ET. The NAA/Cr ratio in the contralateral SN was significantly higher in patients with tremor-dominant PD than those with ET, whereas the Cho/Cr ratios showed no significant differences between groups. The findings suggest that MRS in the SN may be helpful in differentiating tremor-dominant PD from ET.
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