3T-diffusion tensor tractography and 1H-MR-spectroscopy in motor neuron disease

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of combined 3T 1H-MR-Spectroscopy (MRS) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) in patients with suspected motor neuron disease versus EMG, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and the El-Escorial scale as a gold standard. Methods: 18 patients (11 male, mean age 59 (45 to 73) years) with suspected motor neuron disease were studied with MRS and DTI. For MRS, absolute NAA and relative NAA/Cho ratios of corresponding 30×25×20mm cubic volumes of interest (VOIs) within the primary motor cortex were calculated. For DTI, the corticospinal tracts (CST) were tracked using a 3 poin…