PROTON MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY IN SUSPECTED VASCULAR ISCHEMICPARKINSONISM

Up to now the existence of ''vascular parkinsonism'' has been doubtful because conclusive clinicopathologic studies are lacking. The objecti ve of the present magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) study is to de tect metabolic signs as a reflect of ischemic lesions which could be r esponsible for the clinical features of vascular parkinsonism. Proton MRS of the brain was performed in 12 patients suspected of vascular pa rkinsonism on clinical grounds and ischemic score, and in a control gr oup of 15 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The MR spectra were measured in the striatum and deep white matter. MRS did not demo nstrate metabolic evidence for the existence of ischemia (elevated lac tate) or cell loss (decreased N-acetyl-aspartate levels) in patients s uspected of vascular parkinsonism. Several explanations for our findin gs are discussed.