Table 1_Whole brain MR spectroscopy in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis.docx

Objective<p>To investigate neurometabolic alterations in patients who have had anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis using whole-brain magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (wbMRSI) in comparison to matched healthy volunteers with no history of anti-NMDAR encephalitis.</p>Methods<p>Twenty patients with a history of anti-NMDAR encephalitis and 20 healthy controls underwent wbMRSI. The concentrations of the metabolites N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), total creatine (tCr), Myo-Inositol (ml) and Glutamate/Glutamine (Glx) were measured in both frontal lobes (LFL and RFL), both temporal lobes (LTL and RTL), both parietal lobes (LPL and RPL), both occipital lobes (LOL and ROL), and cerebellum and compared using two-sided t-tests.

Additionally, each patient underwent examinations including cognitive tests (DemTect), life quality assessment (SF36) and depressive disorders (BDI II) as fine motor skills (HPT) and walking speed (timed 25-foot walk test) investigations.</p>Results<p>Exploratory analyses, uncorrected for multiple comparisons, revealed region specific metabolic differences including reduced NAA concentrations in the RTL, as well as an increase of Cho in the LFL, LPL, ROL and LOL.