Table 2.

Longitudinal changes in motor cortex metabolites for nine patients with ALS who were studied at 0, 1, and 3 months

Metabolite or metabolite ratio	0 mo	1 mo	3 mo
Most affected motor cortex
NAA	17.7 ± 2.6	16.4 ± 2.2 (−7.2)	15.1 ± 1.3 (−14.5)*
Cre	8.3 ± 0.8	8.2 ± 1.0 (−0.1)	7.3 ± 0.7 (−11.8)*
Cho	5.0 ± 0.6	5.1 ± 0.6 (1.1)	4.1 ± 0.6 (−18.8)*
NAA/Cre	2.1 ± 0.2	1.9 ± 0.1 (−7.1)†	2.0 ± 0.1 (−2.7)
NAA/Cho	3.4 ± 0.4	3.1 ± 0.2 (−8.2)	3.5 ± 0.4 (4.7)
NAA/(Cre + Cho)	1.3 ± 0.1	1.2 ± 0.1 (−7.4)†	1.3 ± 0.1 (0.1)
Least affected motor cortex
NAA	16.2 ± 2.4	16.5 ± 2.0 (1.6)	16.2 ± 2.1 (−0.3)
Cre	8.0 ± 1.1	7.9 ± 1.2 (−1.3)	7.7 ± 0.6 (−2.9)
Cho	4.5 ± 0.7	4.8 ± 0.7 (6.2)	4.4 ± 0.4 (−2.5)
NAA/Cre	2.0 ± 0.2	2.0 ± 0.2 (3.3)	2.0 ± 0.2 (2.4)
NAA/Cho	3.3 ± 0.4	3.3 ± 0.4 (−0.9)	3.4 ± 0.5 (2.1)
NAA/(Cro + Cho)	1.2 ± 0.1	1.2 ± 0.1 (1.6)	1.2 ± 0.1 (2.4)

The most affected motor cortex was used. The percent change is compared with that at month 0.

Values are expressed as mean ± SD (%).

^*p ≤ 0.005 (two-tailed test).

^†p ≤ 0.05 (two-tailed test).

NAA = N-acetylaspartate; Cre = creatine; Cho = choline.