Characterisation of tissue-type metabolic content in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: a magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging study

• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-8903-y
• Publication Date: 2018-05-30T04:30:06Z
• Authors: Ian Marshall; Michael J. Thripp...; Mark E. Bastin; Daisy Mollison; David A. Dickie; Francesca M. Chap...; Scott I. K. Semple; Annette Cooper; Sue Pavitt; Gavin Giovannoni; Claudia A. M. Gan...; Bhavana S. Solanky; Christopher J. Weir; Nigel Stallard; Clive Hawkins; Basil Sharrack; Jeremy Chataway; Peter Connick; Siddharthan Chandran
• Keywords: Male; Multiple Sclerosis; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; 610; White matter lesions; Multiple sclerosis; Cohort Studies; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; RC925; White matter lesion; 616; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Humans; Multiple sclerosi; Original Communication; Brain; Brain metabolites; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive; R1; QP; Normal-appearing white matter; Chronic Progressive; RC0321; Linear Models; Linear Model; Female; Cohort Studie; Brain metabolite; Human

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy yields metabolic information and has proved to be a useful addition to structural imaging in neurological diseases. We applied short-echo time Spectroscopic Imaging in a cohort of 42 patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Linear modelling with respect to brain tissue type yielded metabolite levels that were significantly different in white matter lesions compared with normal-appearing white matter, suggestive of higher myelin turnover (higher choline), higher metabolic rate (higher creatine) and increased glial activity (higher myo-inositol) within the lesions. These findings suggest that the lesions have ongoing cellular activity that is not consistent with the usual assumption of 'chronic' lesions in SPMS, and may represent a target for repair therapies.