Ivan Tkac1, Lori A. Zacharoff2,
Silvia Mangia1, Patrick J. Bolan1, Janet M. Dubinsky2
1Center for Magnetic Resonance
Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; 2Dept.
of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
In
vivo 1H NMR spectroscopy at 9.4T was used to measure neurochemical
changes in striatum and cerebral cortex of R6/2 transgenic mice during their
lifespan, starting from a presymptomatic age of 4 weeks. Significant
differences were observed for multiple brain metabolites between R6/2 and WT
controls. Concentration changes in cortex were parallel to those observed in
striatum. Changes in the neurochemical profiles correlated with reduced
volumes of these brain regions. Behavioral differences were observed at all
time points, although different tests distinguished R6/2 mice from WT
controls at early and older ages.