Dialysis and transplantation affect cerebral abnormalities of end-stage renal disease.

Localized short echo time proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed to determine whether chronic and end-stage renal failure, hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, or renal transplantation result in alterations of cerebral water and metabolites in humans. Hemodialysis patients show an increased cerebral concentration of myo-inositol (+ 14%; P < .05). Increased metabolite ratios are found for myo-inositol/creatine (+14%; P <.01) and choline containing compounds choline/creatine (+10%; P < .01) and are more marked in gray than in white matter. N-acetylaspartate and total creatine concentrations are unaffected. Compared to hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients show a larger increase in choline and less elevated myo-inositol. Acutely, hemodialysis significantly decreases the cerebrospinal fluid content of the examined brain regions, but metabolite changes are small compared to the persistent alterations in patients receiving hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Undialyzed patients with chronic renal failure do not differ from patients on hemodialysis, but cerebral metabolite changes are completely reversed by transplantation. Cerebral metabolic effects of end-stage renal disease differ from Alzheimer's disease, which is associated with markedly reduced N-acetylaspartate, increased myo-inositol, and normal choline concentrations. The small but significant cerebral metabolic disorders associated with renal failure and dialysis may be a consequence of osmotic dysregulation.