BRAIN METABOLITE CHANGES IN ALCOHOLISM - AN IN-VIVO PROTON MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY (MRS) STUDY

Image-guided, single voxel, localized proton magnetic resonance (MR) s pectroscopy was performed to assess the brain metabolite changes in 10 (n = 10) alcoholic patients in the frontal lobe, cerebellum, and thal amus regions. The spectra obtained were characterized by a reduced N-a cetyl-aspartate (NAA) to choline (Cho) (p <.01) and NAA to total creat ine (Cr + PCr) (p <.01) ratios relative to age-matched (n = 27) contro ls. These decreased ratios correspond to depleted concentration of the metabolite levels such as NAA and Cho. Reduction of NAA is consistent with the neuronal loss while reduction in Cho suggests significant ch anges in the membrane lipids of alcoholics.