Reduced n-acetylaspartate to creatine ratio in the posterior cingulate correlates with cognition in alzheimer's disease following four months of rivastigmine treatment
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-4-2015
Journal
Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
Volume
39
First Page
68
Last Page
80
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.1159/000367685
Abstract
Aim: To determine whether 4 months of rivastigmine treatment would result in metabolic changes and whether metabolic changes correlate with changes in cognition in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: Magnetic resonance spectra were acquired from the posterior cingulate cortex of subjects with AD at 3 T. Magnetic resonance imaging scans and cognitive tests were performed before and 4 months after the beginning of the treatment. Metabolite concentrations were quantified and used to calculate the metabolite ratios. Results: On average, the N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr) ratio decreased by 12.7% following 4 months of rivastigmine treatment, but changes in the NAA/Cr ratio correlated positively with changes in Mini-Mental State Examination scores. Conclusion: This positive correlation between changes in NAA/Cr and changes in cognitive performance suggests that the NAA/Cr ratio could be an objective indicator of a response to rivastigmine treatment.