Navid Seraji-Bozorgzad1,2, Fen Bao1,2, Edwin George1,2, Shana Krstevska3, Veronica Gorden2, Jessica Chorostecki1,2, Carla Santiago2, Imad Zak4, Christina Caon2, Omar Khan1,2. 1. The Sastry Foundation Advanced Imaging Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. 2. Movement Disorders Program, Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. 3. Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA. 4. Department of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The value of biomarkers in early diagnosis and development of therapeutics in Parkinson's disease (PD) is well established. METHODS: We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a prospective, longitudinal study of 23 patients with early PD, naïve to dopaminergic therapy, and six age-matched healthy controls to examine the temporal changes in metabolic profile of substantia nigra over a period of 3 months. RESULTS: N-acetyl aspartate to creatine ratio at month 3 was compared with baseline values in the PD and control groups, as well as the side-to-side difference of the ratio at baseline. By month 3, n-acetyl aspartate to creatine ratio had decreased by 4.4% in patients with PD (P = 0.024), without a concomitant change in healthy controls. The side-to-side asymmetry was significantly higher in the PD group (16.7%) vs. healthy controls (1.6%, P = 0.0024). CONCLUSION: Estimation of change in the n-acetyl aspartate to creatine ratio appears to be a fast, quantifiable, and reliable marker of dopaminergic neuronal viability in PD.
INTRODUCTION: The value of biomarkers in early diagnosis and development of therapeutics in Parkinson's disease (PD) is well established. METHODS: We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a prospective, longitudinal study of 23 patients with early PD, naïve to dopaminergic therapy, and six age-matched healthy controls to examine the temporal changes in metabolic profile of substantia nigra over a period of 3 months. RESULTS:N-acetyl aspartate to creatine ratio at month 3 was compared with baseline values in the PD and control groups, as well as the side-to-side difference of the ratio at baseline. By month 3, n-acetyl aspartate to creatine ratio had decreased by 4.4% in patients with PD (P = 0.024), without a concomitant change in healthy controls. The side-to-side asymmetry was significantly higher in the PD group (16.7%) vs. healthy controls (1.6%, P = 0.0024). CONCLUSION: Estimation of change in the n-acetyl aspartate to creatine ratio appears to be a fast, quantifiable, and reliable marker of dopaminergic neuronal viability in PD.