IN-VIVO LOCALIZED NMR PROTON SPECTROSCOPY OF NORMAL APPEARING WHITE-MATTER IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

We used a rapid long TE proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) sequence in the normal appearing white matter of 11 patients with defi nite multiple sclerosis (MS) localizing the volume of interest in the centrum semi-ovale. The metabolic changes were compared to the same ar ea in 11 normal brains. We found a significant decrease in NAA/Cr rati os and a borderline significance of increase in Cho/Cr ratios in patie nts with MS. A discriminant analysis was performed on these data. This allowed to obtain a simple ratio, NAA/(Cho + Myo), which discriminate d MS patients from controls. Our results indicate that normal appearin g white matter on MRT is biochemically abnormal in patients with MS. I n addition MRS could be routinely used after a standard MRI examinatio n in patients with MS for clinical correlations, total load of the dis ease assessment and monitoring clinical trials.