Sanjeev Chawla1, Sumei Wang1,
Sulaiman Sheriff2, John H. Woo1, Lauren Elman3,
Leo F. McCluskey3, Murray Grossman3, Elias R. Melhem1,
Andrew Maudsley2, Harish Poptani1
1Radiology, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA, United States; 2Radiology, University of Miami,
Miami, FL, United States; 3Neurology, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA, United States
The
purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of echoplanar
spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) in assessing metabolic alterations beyond the
motor cortex of ALS patients. NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr were measured from the
precentral gyrus (PreCG), postcentral gyrus (postCG) and internal capsule
(IC) and compared to Occipital region (OR) as an internal control.
Significant reductions in NAA/Cr were observed from the preCG and IC from
both the hemispheres. Significantly higher Cho/Cr ratios were also observed
from the preCG, postCG and IC regions indicating that metabolic abnormalities
in ALS extend beyond the motor cortex that can be observed using EPSI.
Keywords