[Hydrogen magnetic resonance quantitative spectroscopy at 3 T in symptomatic and asymptomatic Huntington's disease patients].

INTRODUCTION

Huntington's disease is an hereditary autosomic-dominant neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by motor, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms.

AIM: To quantify differences in N-acetylaspartate, creatine and choline in caudate nucleus, putamen and occipital cortex of patients with Huntington's disease, symptomatics and asymptomatics.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

Hydrogen magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed with a 3 T scanner in 10 Huntington's disease gene-tested subjects, included in three groups: negative (control), positive symptomatics and positive asymptomatics. Data was quantified with LCModel and analyzed with ANOVA and Fisher tests.

RESULTS

Symptomatic patients showed decreased creatine and N-acetylaspartate in the three regions, and decreased choline only in putamen (p < 0.05). Choline difference was found between symptomatics and asymptomatics in the caudate nucleus (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Results may reflect neuronal dysfunction and suggest that creatine and choline may serve as markers for Huntington's disease progression.