Abstract
Narcolepsy with cataplexy is characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden drops of muscle tone triggered by emotions, termed cataplexy, disrupted nocturnal sleep and other dissociated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phenomena. Narcolepsy has been linked to a loss of hypothalamic neurons producing hypocretins, neuropeptides implicated in the regulation of the arousal system. Neuroimaging and neurometabolic studies have shown the pathophysiological involvement of other brain structures such as cerebral cortex and thalamus, but, overall with inconsistent results. We investigated, by using an advanced quantitative MR technique, proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS), the distribution of brain neurochemical abnormalities in narcolepsy with cataplexy patients. Single voxel 1H-MRS study was performed in the thalamus, hypothalamus, and parietal-occipital cortex of hypocretin deficient, narcolepsy with cataplexy patients, HLA-DQB1*0602-positive, drug free. No significant changes were detected in the thalamus and parietal-occipital cortex of the patients. On the other hand, the neuronal marker N-acetyl-aspartate was reduced in the hypothalamus of narcolepsy with cataplexy patients compared to controls. These 1H-MRS findings further support that in narcolepsy with cataplexy patients, the hypothalamus is the primary site of neural lesions. The absence of 1H-MRS neurodegenerative changes in the thalamus and cerebral cortex suggests that the abnormalities detected in these brain regions by other neuroimaging techniques are likely of functional nature.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 147-150 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Brain Research Bulletin |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sep 28 2009 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Cataplexy
- Narcolepsy
- Proton MR spectroscopy
- Thalamus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
Cite this
Distribution of neurochemical abnormalities in patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy : An in vivo brain proton MR spectroscopy study. / Tonon, Caterina; Franceschini, Christian; Testa, Claudia; Manners, David Neil; Poli, Francesca; Mostacci, Barbara; Mignot, Emanuel; Montagna, Pasquale; Barbiroli, Bruno; Lodi, Raffaele; Plazzi, Giuseppe.
In: Brain Research Bulletin, Vol. 80, No. 3, 28.09.2009, p. 147-150.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Distribution of neurochemical abnormalities in patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy
T2 - An in vivo brain proton MR spectroscopy study
AU - Tonon, Caterina
AU - Franceschini, Christian
AU - Testa, Claudia
AU - Manners, David Neil
AU - Poli, Francesca
AU - Mostacci, Barbara
AU - Mignot, Emanuel
AU - Montagna, Pasquale
AU - Barbiroli, Bruno
AU - Lodi, Raffaele
AU - Plazzi, Giuseppe
PY - 2009/9/28
Y1 - 2009/9/28
N2 - Narcolepsy with cataplexy is characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden drops of muscle tone triggered by emotions, termed cataplexy, disrupted nocturnal sleep and other dissociated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phenomena. Narcolepsy has been linked to a loss of hypothalamic neurons producing hypocretins, neuropeptides implicated in the regulation of the arousal system. Neuroimaging and neurometabolic studies have shown the pathophysiological involvement of other brain structures such as cerebral cortex and thalamus, but, overall with inconsistent results. We investigated, by using an advanced quantitative MR technique, proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS), the distribution of brain neurochemical abnormalities in narcolepsy with cataplexy patients. Single voxel 1H-MRS study was performed in the thalamus, hypothalamus, and parietal-occipital cortex of hypocretin deficient, narcolepsy with cataplexy patients, HLA-DQB1*0602-positive, drug free. No significant changes were detected in the thalamus and parietal-occipital cortex of the patients. On the other hand, the neuronal marker N-acetyl-aspartate was reduced in the hypothalamus of narcolepsy with cataplexy patients compared to controls. These 1H-MRS findings further support that in narcolepsy with cataplexy patients, the hypothalamus is the primary site of neural lesions. The absence of 1H-MRS neurodegenerative changes in the thalamus and cerebral cortex suggests that the abnormalities detected in these brain regions by other neuroimaging techniques are likely of functional nature.
AB - Narcolepsy with cataplexy is characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden drops of muscle tone triggered by emotions, termed cataplexy, disrupted nocturnal sleep and other dissociated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phenomena. Narcolepsy has been linked to a loss of hypothalamic neurons producing hypocretins, neuropeptides implicated in the regulation of the arousal system. Neuroimaging and neurometabolic studies have shown the pathophysiological involvement of other brain structures such as cerebral cortex and thalamus, but, overall with inconsistent results. We investigated, by using an advanced quantitative MR technique, proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS), the distribution of brain neurochemical abnormalities in narcolepsy with cataplexy patients. Single voxel 1H-MRS study was performed in the thalamus, hypothalamus, and parietal-occipital cortex of hypocretin deficient, narcolepsy with cataplexy patients, HLA-DQB1*0602-positive, drug free. No significant changes were detected in the thalamus and parietal-occipital cortex of the patients. On the other hand, the neuronal marker N-acetyl-aspartate was reduced in the hypothalamus of narcolepsy with cataplexy patients compared to controls. These 1H-MRS findings further support that in narcolepsy with cataplexy patients, the hypothalamus is the primary site of neural lesions. The absence of 1H-MRS neurodegenerative changes in the thalamus and cerebral cortex suggests that the abnormalities detected in these brain regions by other neuroimaging techniques are likely of functional nature.
KW - Cataplexy
KW - Narcolepsy
KW - Proton MR spectroscopy
KW - Thalamus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=68949167643&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=68949167643&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2009.05.010
DO - 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2009.05.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 19463917
AN - SCOPUS:68949167643
VL - 80
SP - 147
EP - 150
JO - Brain Research Bulletin
JF - Brain Research Bulletin
SN - 0361-9230
IS - 3
ER -