Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in a Patient with Central Nervous System Paracoccidioidomycosis

The authors describe a patient with brain paracoccidioidomycosis whose magnetic resonance image (MRI) showed multiple hypointense lesions on T2-weighted images with peripheral enhancement after gadolinium injection. Single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of one of the lesions showed 2 peaks at 0.9 and 1.32 ppm, corresponding to lipid signals, indicating intense necrosis. The other characteristic peaks of 1H-MRS were undifferentiated from baseline. These findings, although not specific, may help to differentiate fungal abscess from tumoral lesions and other types of abscess.     

肌萎缩侧索硬化症病人大脑中央前回运动区磁共振波谱分析

目的 :1H MRS是否可确定ALS病人大脑皮质运动区神经元受损 ,是否适用于监测ALS病情。方法 :病例组包括 9例ALS病人。对照组包括 5例健康人 ,同时测定大脑皮质运动区的NAA、Cho、Cr。结果 :ALS病例组中NAA/Cr显著低于对照组 (P <0 0 5 ) ,Cho/Cr显著高于对照组 (P <0 0 1)。结论 :NAA/Cr下降和Cho/Cr升高 ,提示ALS病人大脑皮质运动区存在神经元破坏和鞘膜功能的异常     

Panic Disorder in Clinically Referred Children and Adolescents

The present study examined the frequency and characteristics of panic disorder in children and adolescents who had been referred to a pediatric psychopharmacology clinic. Of the 280 children and adolescents evaluated in this clinic, 35 were diagnosed with panic disorder using a semi-structured clinical interview (K-SADS) and other objective measures. Approximately half of the youngsters with panic disorder also met criteria for the diagnosis of agoraphobia. There was extensive comorbidity between panic disorder and other internalizing and externalizing disorders. Parents reported clinically significant levels of child symptomatology on the CBCL. Teacher-and child-reported symptomatology on the CBCL was within the normal range. At the same time, it was notable that no child had been referred specifically for evaluation or treatment of panic disorder or agoraphobia. Implications for clinical assessment/identification and treatment are discussed. This paper was presented at the 39th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, November 18, 2005, Washington, DC.     

Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging in Patients with Extratemporal Epilepsy

Summary: Purpose: Reduced levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in temporal lobes responsible for temporal lobe epilepsy have been observed consistently in proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies.
Methods: We investigated the potential of proton MRS to detect low NAA outside of the temporal lobes in patients with non-lesional partial extratemporal epilepsy. Proton MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data of both frontal lobes and central/postcentral regions were obtained in 20 such patients and 16 normal control subjects. The epileptogenic region was determined by an extensive clinical-EEG investigation, including the recording of habitual seizures in each patient, and intracranial EEG recordings in 10 patients.
Results: The relative NAA resonance intensities (i.e., NAN/phosphocreatine plus creatine (CR_t), NAN/choline-containing metabolites (Cho_t) and NAA/Cr_t+ Cho_t), were all significantly reduced throughout the spectroscopic image as compared with that of the controls. Furthermore, reduction of the NAA ratios was greater in the epileptogenic region as compared with the nonepileptogenic regions, on EEG investigation.
Conclusions: In vivo proton MRSI of patients with nonlesional partial extratemporal epilepsy detected evidence of widespread neuronal damage or dysfunction that was greatest in the region of seizure focus.     

Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in adult cancer patients with delirium

Delirium is associated with a host of negative outcomes, including increased risk of mortality, longer hospital stay, and poor long-term cognitive function. The pathophysiology of delirium is not well understood. Cancer patients undergoing a bone marrow transplant (BMT) are at high risk for developing delirium and Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (¹H MRS) could lead to better understanding of the delirium process. Fourteen BMT patients and 10 controls completed ¹H MRS, positioned above the corpus callosum, shortly after delirium onset or at study end if no delirium occurred. In the BMT-delirium group, statistically significantly elevated tCho/tCr was found in contrast to the BMT-no delirium group. The BMT-delirium group also showed statistically significantly lesser NAA/tCho compared with both controls and the BMT-no delirium group. Elevated choline and reduced NAA indicate inflammatory processes and white matter damage as well as neuronal metabolic impairment. Further research is needed to separate the choline peaks, as well as more detailed collection of medication regimens to determine whether a higher choline concentration is a function of the delirium process or cancer treatment effects.     

Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and MRI Reveal No Evidence for Brain Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Brain mitochondrial dysfunction has been proposed as an etiologic factor in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (¹HMRS) and MRI were used to assess for evidence of brain mitochondrial dysfunction in longitudinal samples of children with ASD or developmental delay (DD), and cross-sectionally in typically developing (TD) children at 3–4, 6–7 and 9–10 years-of-age. A total of 239 studies from 130 unique participants (54ASD, 22DD, 54TD) were acquired. ¹HMRS and MRI revealed no evidence for brain mitochondrial dysfunction in the children with ASD. Findings do not support a substantive role for brain mitochondrial abnormalities in the etiology or symptom expression of ASD, nor the widespread use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment that has been advocated on the basis of this proposed relationship.     

Vigabatrin: Effects on Human Brain GABA Levels by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Summary: Vigabatrin (VGB, Sabril) is a new antiepileptic drug used for treatment of partial and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Many controlled short- and long-term trials have established efficacy as add-on therapy. Side effects have been infrequent. VGB acts as an irreversible substrate for 7-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase that leads to elevated brain GABA levels. Although this mechanism has been confirmed in animals and in cerebrospinal fluid of humans, we report the first study of brain GABA levels using noninvasive nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. GABA elevation in brain closely parallels VGB dosage and reaches concentrations 2–3 times control values at daily dosage of 3 g. This technique offers promising potential to monitor changes induced by VGB as a function of time, dose, and clinical effect.     

Carbon Monoxide Brain Toxicity: Clinical, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, and Neuropsychological Effects in 9 People

Carbon monoxide (CO) exposure is a common cause of toxic brain damage, whereby effects range from transient neurological dysfunction to coma and death. A spectrum of severity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings after CO brain toxicity, including globus pallidus and white matter lesions, is well documented. Reports of MR spectroscopy (MRS) findings re main sparse. This article reports 9 people exposed to CO because of an apartment house's faulty gas heater. Four, with transient loss of consciousness after chronic moderate level CO exposure, suffered intellectual impairment without MRI abnormalities. The MRS of 1 individual demonstrated decreased n-acetyl aspartase in the basal ganglia, bilaterally. Of 5 exposed to high levels for about 12 hours, 1 died prior to clinical and/or MRI evaluation. One who suffered coma recovered but was lost to evaluation. Three, who were unconscious for hours to days, exhibited T2 MRI white matter signal abnormalities. MRS showed decreased basal ganglia n-acetyl aspartase in 2. One of these suffers a Parkinsonian syndrome. All 3 are intellectually impaired. This study demonstrates that although MRI and MRS are useful markers of CO-induced brain damage, they are not always sensitive to resultant intellectual dysfunction.