RESUMO
Objective To investigate the metabolic changes and the metabolites distribution of different hippocampal regions (head,body and tail)in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD)using 1 H-MRS for early diagnosis.Methods The hippocampal multivoxel 1H-MRS at 3.0 T was scanned in 30 patients with AD and other 30 normal cognitive elders (NC)as contrast.The data obtained were processed at a workstation.The hippocampus was divided into 3 parts (head,body and tail),and the ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr),myoinositol (MI)/Cr and MI/NAA were calculated respectively.The metabolite ratios and distribution changes were compared between group AD and NC.Results Compared with the group NC,the NAA/Cr in group AD in bilateral hippocampal body and tail was decreased,whereas the MI/Cr and MI/NAA in bilateral body and tail,MI/NAA in left head were opposite (P0.05).Conclusion Metabolic changes and disappearance of the normal distribution in different hippocampal regions detected by 1 H-MRS provide helpful clues for early diagnosis of the AD.