Study of hypothalamic metabolism in cluster headache by proton MR spectroscopy

The authors used 1 H-MRS to investigate hypothalamic metabolism in 26 patients with cluster headache (CH) and 12 healthy subjects. Hypothalamic N -acetylaspartate/creatine was reduced in patients with CH vs controls ( p N -acetylaspartate/creatine in all three subgroups of patients was reduced. The reduction of the neuronal marker N -acetylaspartate is consistent with hypothalamic neuronal dysfunction in patients with CH.