A study linked cortical excitability patterns with brain chemistry changes in ALS
Original source
Cortical excitability stratifies neurochemical profiles in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. (opens in a new tab)Compass summarised this from the study's abstract.
Study details
- Studied in
- Human
Population inferred from the title and abstract by Compass.
A study found that people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) had different brain-chemistry patterns depending on their level of cortical motor inhibition. Lower inhibition was associated with reduced N-acetylaspartate and higher glutamate-related measures in the motor cortex. The findings came from a 54-person study, with only 10 patients assessed again after six months.
Why this matters
These results may help researchers distinguish different patterns of upper motor neuron dysfunction in ALS and assess whether magnetic resonance spectroscopy can track disease changes. This was an observational imaging study and does not change treatment or establish that the measurements can predict an individual’s disease course.
Limitations and context
The study included 34 people with ALS and 20 controls, and the longitudinal analysis included only 10 patients. It also began with a pilot study of two ALS participants. The findings need confirmation in larger, longer studies before the proposed prognostic value of magnetic resonance spectroscopy is established.