Abstract
Objective: To test the hypothesis that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is associated with altered cerebral metabolites in the frontal and occipital cortices.
Method: Cerebral proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1 MRS) was carried out in eight CFS patients and eight age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Spectra were obtained from 20 x 20 x 20 mm(3) voxels in the dominant motor and occipital cortices using a point-resolved spectroscopy pulse sequence.
Results: The mean ratio of choline (Cho) to creatine (Cr) in the occipital cortex in CFS (0.97) was significantly higher than in the controls (0.76; P =0.008). No other metabolite ratios were significantly different between the two groups in either the frontal or occipital cortex. In addition, there was a loss of the normal spatial variation of Cho in CFS.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that there may be an abnormality of phospholipid metabolism in the brain in CFS.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 224-226 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica |
| Volume | 106 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2002 |