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Martin A. Lee, MRCP; Andrew M. Blamire, PhD; Sarah Pendlebury, MRCP; King-Hee Ho, MD; Kerry R. Mills, PhD; Peter Styles, PhD; Jackie Palace, DM; Paul M. Matthews, DPhil

Arch Neurol. 2000;57:65-70.

Objective  To test the hypothesis that axonal damage extending into primarily normal-appearing white matter is clinically important by comparing the concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) bilaterally within the internal capsule with lateralization of motor impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and persistent asymmetrical motor deficit.

Design  We performed magnetic resonance spectroscopy and T2-weighted imaging of the internal capsule, calculated central motor conduction times, and related these results to measures of motor function asymmetry in 12 patients with MS.

Results  Levels of NAA from normal-appearing white matter of the internal capsule in patients with MS were significantly lower than those in control subjects (P = .05). Side-to-side differences in NAA levels were also significantly greater in patients with MS than in controls (P = .01). There was a correlation between asymmetry in motor function for the left and right limbs and asymmetry of internal capsule NAA concentrations (r = 0.60; P = .04). This correlation seemed slightly stronger when tests specifically of arm and hand motor asymmetry were considered alone. Central motor conduction times were abnormal in most patients with MS and showed a side-to-side difference that also correlated with asymmetry in motor function.

Conclusion  Our demonstration of a graded association between NAA concentrations within primarily normal-appearing white matter of a specific tract and functional impairments referable to that tract suggests that axonal pathology distant from macroscopic lesions might be an important determinant of disability in MS.

From the Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (Drs Lee, Pendlebury, Palace, and Matthews), the Medical Research Council Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital (Drs Blamire and Styles), and Departments of Clinical Neurology (Drs Lee, Pendlebury, Palace, and Matthews) and Neurophysiology (Drs Ho and Mills), Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, England.

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