1H-MRS in ALS and Unverricht-Lundborgs disease

ALS and Unverricht Lundborg myoclonic epilepsy are two neurodegenerative diseases without curing treatment. Two pts with ALS and two with U-L are investigated with 1H-MRS of the white matter over a two year period in order to analyse the character of the neurodegenerative course. NAA, Cho, myo-Ins and Lac are analysed according to the LC model. Clinical status is checked and compared. Pharmacological intervention is tried.

• Staff:

Anne-Marie Landtblom , ass prof		project leader		Neurology
Peter Lundberg , ass prof		MRS		Radiation physics
Olof Dahlqvist , PhD stud		MRS		Radiation physics

• Former Staff:

• Project Description:

ALS and Unverricht Lundborg myoclonic epilepsy are two neurodegenerative diseases without curing treatment. U-L is an extremely rare disease characterised by a hereditary defect in the cystatin metabolism. Two pts with ALS and two with U-L are investigated with 1H-MRS of the white matter over a two year period in order to analyse the character of the neurodegenerative course. NAA, Cho, myo-Ins and Lac are analysed according to the LC model. Clinical status is checked and compared. Pharmacological intervention was tried using Copaxone, Creatine and Acetylcystein respectively. The latter pts are investigated in cooperation with a researcher group at McGill University in Montreal. The project is to a certain extent a methodological development to monitor these diseases in the future finding the optimal voxel localisations but it is also a way of identifying vulnerable sites in the CNS in order to describe the natural course.