Metabolic profile of complete spinal cord injury in pons and cerebellum: A 3T 1H MRS study

Scientific Reports, 2023 · DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34326-1 · Published: May 1, 2023

Spinal Cord Injury Neurology Medical Imaging

Simple Explanation

This study assessed the metabolic profiles of people with complete spinal cord injury (SCI) in the pons, cerebellar vermis, and cerebellar hemisphere using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The study included fifteen people with chronic SCI, five people with subacute SCI, and fourteen healthy controls to examine group differences and associations between metabolic and clinical scores. The correlation of tNAA, tCr, tCho and GSH to clinical scores might be indicators on how well the CNS copes with the post-traumatic remodeling and might be further examined as outcome markers.

Study Duration

September 2019 and November 2021

Participants

15 cSCI, 5 sSCI and 14 healthy controls

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Lower total N-acetyl-aspartate (tNAA) was found in the pons of chronic SCI participants compared to healthy controls.
2
Higher glutathione (GSH) levels were observed in the cerebellar vermis of chronic SCI participants compared to healthy controls.
3
Choline levels in the cerebellar hemisphere differed between chronic SCI, subacute SCI, and healthy control groups.

Research Summary

This study examined metabolic profiles in the pons and cerebellum of individuals with complete SCI using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, revealing differences in tNAA, GSH, and choline levels compared to healthy controls. The study found correlations between metabolite concentrations (tCho, tNAA/tCr, and GSH) and clinical scores (pinprick, light touch, and SCIM) in different brain regions, suggesting potential biomarkers for CNS remodeling post-SCI. The findings suggest that tNAA, GSH, tCho, and tCr levels could serve as potential outcome markers for assessing how well the central nervous system adapts to post-traumatic remodeling following spinal cord injury.

Practical Implications

Biomarker Identification

The study identifies potential biomarkers (tNAA, GSH, tCho, tCr) that could be used to assess CNS remodeling post-SCI and predict rehabilitation outcomes.

Therapeutic Target

The findings suggest that modulating GSH levels might improve clinical outcomes in individuals with complete paraplegic SCI.

Personalized Rehabilitation

Metabolic profiling could help tailor rehabilitation therapies to address specific metabolic imbalances in individuals with SCI.

Study Limitations

1
Small number of participants, especially in the subacute group
2
Data quality was lowest in the cerebellar hemisphere.
3
The study only included complete paraplegic SCI patients, limiting generalizability to tetraplegic patients.

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