Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Original Article

Prediction of conversion from amnestic mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Toshiyuki Watanabe, M.D., Ph.D.1)2)3), Akihiko Shiino, M.D., Ph.D.2)4) and Ichiro Akiguchi, M.D., Ph.D.1)3)

1)Faculty of Health Science, Kyoto Koka Womens' University
2)Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science
3)Higher Brain Function Research Center, Uji Takeda Hospital
4)Molecular Neuroscience Reserch Center, Shiga University of Medical Science

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) has been considered to be a transitional state between healthy aging and very mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Most patients with aMCI convert to AD over time, but some of them remain stable as aMCI. In this study, 22 patients with aMCI underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of hippocampus and posterior cingulate cortex. Ten patients converted to AD had significantly lower N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentrations in both hippocampi when compared to 12 patients remained stable to be aMCI. The mean NAA concentration of both hippocampi equal to or lower than 7.6 mmol/l predicted conversion to AD at 1.0 sensitivity and 1.0 specificity and the area under receiver operating curve (ROC) was 1.0. Absolute quantification of 1H-MRS of hippocampus seems to be a useful marker for predicting conversion to AD from patients with aMCI.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (516K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 55: 709|715, 2015)
key words: proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), N-acetylaspartate (NAA), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), hippocampus

(Received: 19-Apr-15)