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AJNR: American Journal of Neuroradiology logoLink to AJNR: American Journal of Neuroradiology
. 1998 Feb;19(2):383-5.

Brain lactate and N-acetylaspartate in pediatric AIDS encephalopathy.

S G Pavlakis 1, D Lu 1, Y Frank 1, A Wiznia 1, D Eidelberg 1, T Barnett 1, R A Hyman 1
PMCID: PMC8338175  PMID: 9504499

Abstract

Two children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and progressive encephalopathy underwent MR spectroscopy before and after antiretroviral therapy. Initial MR spectroscopy of the basal ganglia region showed decreased N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and a lactate peak. After therapy, there was improvement in NAA/Cr and an absence of the abnormal lactate peak. We suggest that decreased NAA/Cr in AIDS is reversible, that brain lactate might correlate with inflammation, and that MR spectroscopy can be useful in treatment trials.

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