Abstract
We have performed localised proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the brain on four patients with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD). The spectrum is characterised at the beginning of the disease by a decrease in N-acetylaspartate and phosphocreatine-creatine content. Choline is strongly increased, and lactate can be detected in some cases. A proton signal from the CH2 groups borne by free intracellular very long chain fatty acids can also be observed. Later in the disease, the levels of all metabolites, in particular NAA, decrease significantly. The progression of neurometabolism documented by MRS correlates well with MRI and clinical progression on follow-up study. In one case, the metabolic profile recorded by proton MRS was abnormal before any change occurred on MRI. Proton MRS of the brain might be the method of choice for monitoring patients with X-ALD, to screen presumed cases and to study the effects of treatment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Moser HW (1988) The peroxisome: nervous system role of a previously underrated organelle. Neurology 38:1617–1627
Moser HW, Moser AB, Smith KD, Bergin A, Borel J, Shankroff J, Stine OC, Merette C, Ott J, Krivit W, Shapiro E (1992) Adrenoleukodystrophy: phenotypic variability and implications for therapy. J Inher Metab Dis 15:645–664
Wanders RJA, van Roedmund CWT, Lagewed W, Jakobs BS, Schutgens RHB, Nijenhuis AA, and Tager JM (1992) X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy: biochemical diagnosis and enzyme defect. J Inher Metab Dis 15:633–644
Ladenson PW (1989) Adrenoleukodystrophy. JAMA 262:1504–1506
Kumar AJ, Rosenbaum AE, Naidu S, Wener L, Citrin CM, Lindenberg R, Kim WS, Zinreich SJ, Molliver ME, Mayberg HS, Moser HW (1987) Adrenoleukodystrophy: correlating MR imaging with CT. Radiology 165:497–504
Kendall BE (1992) Disorders of lysosomes, peroxisomes and mitochondria. AJN 13:621–653
Vion-Dury J, Meyerhoff DJ, Cozzone PJ, Weiner MW (1994) What might be the impact on neurology of the analysis of brain metabolism by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy? J Neurol 241:354–371
Grodd W, Krageloh-Mann I, Klose U, Sauter R (1991) Metabolic and destructive brain disorders in children: findings with localized proton localized MR spectroscopy. Radiology 181:173–181
Austin SJ, Connely A, Gadian DG, Benton JS, Brett EM (1991) Localized1H NMR spectroscopy in Canavan's disease: a report of two cases. Magn Reson Med 19:439–445
Krägeloh-Mann I, Grodd W, Niemann G, Haas G, Ruitenbeek W (1992) Assessment and therapy monitoring of Leigh's disease by MRI and proton spectroscopy. Pediatr Neurol 8:60–64
Confort-Gouny S, Chabrol B, Vion-Dury J, Mancini J, Cozzone PJ (1993) MRI and localized proton MRS in an early infantile form of neuronal ceroidlipofuscinosis. Pediatr Neurol 9:57–60
Connely A, Cross JH, Gadian DG, Hunter JV, Kirkham FJ, Leonard JV (1993) Magnetic resonance spectroscopy shows increased brain glutamine in ornithine carbamoyl transferase deficiency. Pediatr Res 33:77–81
Bruhn H, Kruse B, Korenke GC, Manefeld F, Hänicke W, Merboldt KD, Frahm J (1992) Proton NMR spectroscopy of cerebral metabolic alterations in infantile peroxysomal disorders. J Comput Assist Tomogr 16: 335–344
Tzika AA, Ball WB, Vigneron DB, Dunn RS, Nelson SJ, Kirks DR (1993) Childhood adrenoleukodystrophy: assessment with proton MR spectroscopy. Radiology 189:467–480
Frahm J, Bruhn H, Hänicke W, Merboldt KD, Mursch K, Markakise E (1991) Localized proton NMR spectroscopy of brain tumors using short echo time STEAM sequences. J Comput Assist Tomogr 15:915–922
Rizzo WB, Leshner RT, Odone A (1989) Dietary erucic acid therapy for X-linked adrenoleukocystrophy. Neurology 39: 1415–1422
Brauder H, Fischer H, Graumann R, Diemling D (1988) A new steady-state imaging sequence for simultaneous acquisition of two MR images with clearly different contrasts. Magn Reson Med 7: 37–42
Michaelis T, Merboldt KD, Hänicke W, Gyngell ML, Brunh H, Frahm J (1991) On the identification of cerebral metabolites in localized H-1 NMR spectra of human brain in vivo. NMR Biomed 4: 90–98
Ross BD (1991) Biochemical considerations in 1H spectroscopy. Glutamate and glutamine, myo-inositol and related metabolites. NMR Biomed 4: 59–63
Miller BL (1991) A review of chemical issues in 1H NMR spectroscopy: N-acetyl-aspartate, creatine, and choline. NMR Biomed 4: 47–52
Alger JR, Symko SC, Bizzi A, Posse S, DesPres DJ, Amstrong MR (1993) Absolute quantitation of short TE brain H1-MR spectra and spectroscopic imaging data. J Comput Assist Tomogr 17: 191–199
Friede RL (1989) Developmental neuropathology. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 478–489
Schaumburg HH, Powers JM, Raine CS, Suzuki K, Richardson EP (1975) Adrenoleukodystrophy. A clinical and pathological study of 17 cases. Arch Neurol 32: 577–591
Larsson HBW, Christiansen P, Jensen M, Frederiksen J, Heltberg A, Olesen J, Henriksen O (1991) Localized in vivo proton spectroscopy in the brain of patients with multiple sclerosis. Magn Reson Med 22: 23–31
Richards TL (1991) Proton NMR spectroscopy in multiple sclerosis: value in establishing diagnosis, monitoring progression and evaluationg therapy. AJR 157: 1073–1078
Bruhn H, Frahm J, Gyngell M, Merbold KD, Hänicke W, Sauter R (1989) Cerebral metabolism in man after acute stroke: new observation using localized proton NMR spectroscopy. Magn Reson Med 9: 126–131
Prichard JW (1991) What the clinician can learn from MRS lactate measurement? NMR Biomed 4: 99–102
Petroff OAC, Graham GD, Blamire AM, Al Rayess M, Rothman DL, Fayad PB, Brass LM, Shulman RG, Prichard JW (1992) Spectroscopic imaging of stroke in humans: histopathology correlates of spectral changes. Neurology 42: 1349–1354
Menon DK, Ainsworth JG, Cox IJ, Coker RC, Sargentoni J, Coutts GA, Baudouin CJ, Kocsis AE, Harris JRW (1992) Proton MR spectroscopy of the brain in AIDS dementia complex. J Comput Assist Tomogr 16: 538–542
Confort-Gouny S, Vion-Dury J, Nicoli F, Dano P, Donnet A, Grazziani N, Gastaut JL, Grisoli F, Cozzone PJ (1993) A multiparametric data analysis showing the potential of localized proton MR spectroscopy of the brain in the metabolic definition of neurological diseases. J Neurol Sci 118: 123–133
Meyerhoff DJ, MacKay S, Bachman L, Poole N, Dillon WP, Weiner MW, Fein G (1993) Reduced brain N-acetyl-aspartate suggests neuronal loss in cognitively impaired human imunodeficiency virus seropositive individuals: in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging. Neurology 43: 509–515
Aubourg P, Adamsbaum C, Lavallard-Roupusseau MC, Rocchiccioli F, Cartier N, Jambaqué I, Jakobezah C, Lemaître A, Boureau F, Wolf C, Bougnères P (1993) A two-year trial of oleic and erucic acids (“lorenzo's oil”) as treatment for adrenomyeloneuropathy. N Eng J Med 329: 745–752
Vion-Dury J, Confort-Gouny S, Nicoli F, Dhiver C, Gastaut JA, Gastaut JL, Cozzone PJ (1994) Localised brain proton MRS metabolic patterns in HIV-related encephalopathies. CR Acad Sci Paris 317: 833–840
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Confort-Gouny, S., Vion-Dury, J., Chabrol, B. et al. Localised proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. Neuroradiology 37, 568–575 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00593724
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00593724