Three-dimensional proton spectroscopy of deep gray matter nuclei in relapsing-remitting MS.

The metabolic changes in the deep gray matter (GM) nuclei, thalamus, and basal ganglia of patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis were investigated with quantitative, multivoxel, three-dimensional proton MR spectroscopy. This technique facilitated the study of several bilateral structures in a single session at sub–cubic centimeter spatial resolution. Compared with 9 matched control subjects, the deep GM nuclei of 11 patients showed 7% lower N -acetylaspartate and 14% higher choline levels ( p = 0.02 for both).