AIDS DEMENTIA COMPLEX - EVALUATION WITH PROTON MR SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING

PURPOSE: To investigate cerebral metabolic changes in acquired immunod eficiency syndrome dementia complex (ADC) with proton magnetic resonan ce (MR) spectroscopic imaging and compare the findings with those of c onventional MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients with ADC (all men; age range, 33-58 years; mean, 43 years) with human immunode ficiency virus (HIV) infection and seven age-matched volunteers withou t HIV infection underwent spectroscopic and conventional MR imaging. R ESULTS: Patient spectra were characterized by reduced levels of N-acet yl aspartate and increased levels of choline in white-matter regions. Lactate was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of five patients. Four patients with mild to moderate dementia had more extensive metabolic abnormalities than three patients with only mild neurocognitive change s. CONCLUSION: Proton MR spectroscopic imaging shows extensive metabol ic changes and is more sensitive than conventional MR imaging in the d etection of central nervous system involvement in ADC.