Modest decrements in plasma glucose concentration cause early impairment in cognitive function and later activation of glucose counterregulation in the absence of hypoglycemic symptoms in normal man.

To establish the glycemic threshold for onset of neuroglycopenia (impaired cognitive function, measured by the latency of the P300 wave), activation of hormonal counterregulation and hypoglycemic symptoms, 12 normal subjects were studied either under conditions of insulin-induced, glucose-controlled plasma glucose decrements, or during maintenance of euglycemia. A decrement in plasma glucose concentration from 88 +/- 3 to 80 +/- 1 mg/dl for 150 min did not result in changes in the latency of the P300 wave nor in an activation of counterregulatory hormonal response. In contrast, a greater decrement in plasma glucose concentration from 87 +/- 3 to 72 +/- 1 mg/dl for 120 min caused an increase in the latency of the P300 wave (from 301 +/- 12 to 348 +/- 20 ms, P less than 0.01), a subsequent increase in all counterregulatory hormones but no hypoglycemic symptoms. Finally, when plasma glucose concentration was decreased in a stepwise manner from 88 +/- 2 to 50 +/- 1 mg/dl within 75 min, the increase in the latency of the P300 wave was correlated with the corresponding plasma glucose concentration (r = -0.76, P less than 0.001). The glycemic threshold for hypoglycemic symptoms was 49 +/- 2 mg/dl. Thus, in normal man the glycemic threshold for neuroglycopenia (72 +/- 1 mg/dl) is greater than currently thought; the hormonal counterregulation follows the onset of neuroglycopenia; the hypoglycemic symptoms are a late indicator of advanced neuroglycopenia.

Prestroke dementia in patients with atrial fibrillation. Frequency and associated factors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Prestroke dementia is frequent but usually not identified. Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is independently associated with an increased risk for dementia. However, the frequency and determinants of prestroke dementia in patients with NVAF have never been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of prestroke dementia and associated factors in patients with a previously known NVAF. METHODS: This is an ancillary study of Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation Ensemble II (SAFE II), an observational study conducted in patients with a previously known NVAF, consecutively admitted for an acute stroke in French and Italian centers. Prestroke dementia was evaluated by the IQCODE in patients with a reliable informant. Patients were considered as demented before stroke when their IQCODE score was > or = 104. RESULTS: of 204 patients, 39 (19.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.7%-24.5%) patients met criteria for prestroke dementia. The only variable independently associated with prestroke dementia was increasing age (adjusted odds ratio for 1 year increase in age: 1.10; 95 % CI: 1.04-1.17), and there was a nonsignificant tendency for previous ischemic stroke or TIA and arterial hypertension. CONCLUSION: One fifth of stroke patients with a previously known NVAF were already demented before stroke. The main determinant of prestroke dementia is increasing age. A large cohort is necessary to identify other determinants.

Mild hyperhomocyst(e)inemia: a possible risk factor for cervical artery dissection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The pathogenesis of cervical artery dissection (CAD) remains unknown in most cases. Hyperhomocyst(e)inemia [hyperH(e)], an independent risk factor for cerebrovascular disease, induces damage in endothelial cells in animal cell culture. Consecutive patients with CAD and age-matched control subjects have been studied by serum levels of homocyst(e)ine and the genotype of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). METHODS: Twenty-six patients with CAD, admitted to our Stroke Unit (15 men and 11 women; 16 vertebral arteries, 10 internal carotid arteries), were compared with age-matched control subjects. All patients underwent duplex ultrasound, MR angiography, and/or conventional angiography. RESULTS: Mean plasma homocyst(e)ine level was 17.88 micromol/L (range 5.95 to 40.0 micromol/L) for patients with CAD and 6.0+/-0.99 micromol/L for controls (P:<0.001). The genetic analysis for the thermolabile form of MTHFR in CAD patients showed heterozygosity in 54% and homozygosity in 27%; comparable figures for controls were 40% (P:=0.4) and 10% (P:=0.1), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mild hyperH(e) might represent a risk factor for cervical artery dissection. The MTHFR mutation is not significantly associated with CAD. An interaction between different genetic and environmental factors probably takes place in the cascade of pathogenetic events leading to arterial wall damage.

Choline alphoscerate in cognitive decline and in acute cerebrovascular disease: an analysis of published clinical data.

This paper has reviewed the documentation on the clinical efficacy of choline alphoscerate, a cholinergic precursor, considered as a centrally acting parasympathomimetic drug in dementia disorders and in acute cerebrovascular disease. Thirteen published clinical trials, examining in total 4054 patients, have evaluated the use of choline alphoscerate in various forms of dementia disorders of degenerative, vascular or combined origin, such as senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type (SDAT) or vascular dementia (VaD) and in acute cerebrovascular diseases, such as transitory ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke. Analysis has assessed the design of each study, in particular with respect to experimental design, number of cases, duration of treatment and tests used to evaluate drug clinical efficacy. Most of the ten studies performed in dementia disorders were controlled trials versus a reference drug or placebo. Overall, 1570 patients were assessed in these studies, 854 of which in controlled trials. As detected by validated and appropriate tests, such as Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE) in SDAT and Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric (SCAG) in VaD, administration of choline alphoscerate significantly improved patient clinical condition. Clinical results obtained with choline alphoscerate were superior or equivalent to those observed in control groups under active treatment and superior to the results observed in placebo groups. Analysis stresses the clear internal consistency of clinical data gathered by different experimental situations on the drug effect, especially with regard to the cognitive symptoms (memory, attention) characterising the clinical picture of adult-onset dementia disorders. The therapeutic usefulness of choline alphoscerate in relieving cognitive symptoms of chronic cerebral deterioration differentiates this drug from cholinergic precursors used in the past, such as choline and lecithin. Three uncontrolled trials were performed with choline alphoscerate in acute cerebrovascular stroke and TIA, totalling 2484 patients. The results of these trials suggest that this drug might favour functional recovery of patients with cerebral stroke and should be confirmed in future investigations aimed at establish the efficacy of the drug in achieving functional recovery of patients with acute cerebrovascular disease.

Treatment of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease with cholinergic precursors. Ineffective treatments or inappropriate approaches?

The observations of the loss of cholinergic function in neocortex and hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease (AD) developed the hypothesis that replacement of cholinergic function may be of therapeutic benefit to AD patients. The different approaches proposed or tested included intervention with acetylcholine (ACh) precursors, stimulation of ACh release, use of muscarinic or nicotinic receptor agonists and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) or cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition. Inhibition of endogenous ACh degradation through ChE inhibitors and precursor loading were treatments more largely investigated in clinical trials. Of the numerous compounds in development for the treatment of AD, AChE and ChE inhibitors are the most clinically advanced, although clinical trials conducted to date did not always confirm a significant benefit of these drugs on all symptom domains of AD. The first attempts in the treatment of AD with cholinergic precursors did not confirm a clinical utility of this class of compounds in well controlled clinical trials. However, cholinergic precursors most largely used such as choline and phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) were probably not suitable for enhancing brain levels of ACh. Other phospholipids involved in choline biosynthetic pathways such as CDP-choline, choline alphoscerate and phosphatidylserine clearly enhanced ACh availability or release and provided a modest improvement of cognitive dysfunction in AD, these effects being more pronounced with choline alphoscerate. Although some positive results cannot be generalized due to the small numbers of patients studied, they probably would justify reconsideration of the most promising molecules in larger carefully controlled trials.

Pharmacological treatment of non-cognitive disturbances in dementia disorders.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) occur in 50-90% of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). They cause premature institutionalization, increased costs of care and significant loss of quality-of-life for the patient and his/her family and caregivers. Non-pharmacological interventions are first-line in dealing with milder BPSD, while for moderate to severe BPSD, medication is clearly indicated in conjunction with non-pharmacological interventions. An imbalance of different neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin) has been proposed as the neurochemical correlate of BPSD. An involvement of some specific brain regions responsible for emotional activities (parahippocampal gyrus, dorsal raphe, locus coeruleus) and cortical hypometabolism have been suggested to contribute to BPSD. Atypical or novel antipsychotic drugs represent the reference drugs for treating BPSD. Among these, risperidone is considered as a drug of choice. Also, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are useful in the treatment of BPSD.

Activation of complement and contact system in Alzheimer's disease.

beta-Amyloid protein (betaA) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) because of its neurotoxicity and ability to trigger a local inflammatory response. Although assembly of betaA in particular aggregates seems to be crucial event in AD pathogenesis, soluble, non-fibrillar betaA may also be involved. Non-fibrillar betaA1-42, and truncated peptide 1-28, induced dose-dependent activation of C4 sparing C3. The mechanism of C4 activation was not dependent on C1q, because non-fibrillar betaA can still activate C4 in plasma genetically deficient in C1q. A C1q independent mechanism of complement classical pathway activation could be via the activation of contact/kinin system. The possible involvement of contact system in AD is suggested by the finding that this system is massively activated in CSF of AD patients. The mechanism of activation of contact system could be the result of an anionic interaction of residues within the region 1-11 of betaA1-42 with factor XII, and of kallikrein generation. Concomitant incubation of a small cationic peptide (lysine4) with betaA abrogated its ability to trigger the cleavage of high molecular weight kininogen. In vivo, prevention of contact system activation beside the reduction of kallikrein generation, can also decrease the activation of complement system and the release of interleukin-6, both factors being considered to play an important role in the inflammatory reactions in AD brain.

Plasma total homocysteine levels and the C677T mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene: a study in an Italian population with dementia.

Hyperhomocysteinemia is a known risk factor for vascular disease and commonly occurs in the elderly. Several studies have shown an association between elevated plasma homocysteine levels and cognitive impairment, indicating that it may play a role in the pathophysiology of dementia. We studied plasma homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12 levels and the MTHFR C677T genotype in an Italian population of patients with dementia. We confirmed that elevated plasma tHcy (>14 micromol/l) is common in elderly subjects with dementia. Although we found a high prevalence of the MTHFR TT genotype (21.2%) the allele frequency is not over-represented relative to the control population. We also observed a high incidence of folate deficiency (38%) in subjects with dementia. Elevated homocysteine was associated with low plasma folate (<5.7 nmol/l) and the MTHFR TT genotype. Moderate to severe hyperhomocysteinemia (>26.1 nmol/l) was associated with a significantly lower MMSE score. Hyperhomocysteinemia may be neurotoxic by several different mechanisms affecting cognitive function. Further studies are needed to fully explore the potential of B vitamin supplementation to lower plasma homocysteine and improve cognitive function.

Cerebrospinal fluid acetylcholinesterase activity after long-term treatment with donepezil and rivastigmina.

At present acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors (AChEIs) represent the only reliable therapeutic resource for symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer Disease (AD). This study was designed to assess the effects of 6-12 month treatment with AChEIs donepezil and rivastigmine on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity in AD patients. The pattern of AChE isoforms (G4, G1, G2) before and after treatment was investigated as well. In AD patients treated with donepezil a significant increase of CFS AChE activity was observed, whereas treatment with rivastigmine induced a significant decrease of AChE activity. Both drugs did not change BuChE activity and tended to restore the physiological pattern of AChE isoform. The possible significance of the influence of AChEIs on CSF AChE activity and isoforms is discussed.

Levels of nerve growth factor in cerebrospinal fluid of chronic daily headache patients.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) levels were determined in the CSF of patients with chronic daily headache (CDH) and correlated with levels of sensory neuropeptides. Patients with CDH showed higher NGF levels in the CSF compared with control subjects (p < 0.0001). Higher CSF levels of substance P (SP) (p < 0.002) and calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) (p < 0.0001) were also found. There was a significant positive correlation between NGF and both SP and CGRP values. These findings suggest that NGF is involved in the long-lasting sensitization and sustained activation of the trigeminal system in CDH.

Cerebrospinal fluid pyruvate levels in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Increased amounts of CSF pyruvate and lactate were found in patients with AD and patients with vascular dementia (VaD). In the AD group, CSF pyruvate values did not show any overlap with those obtained in controls; within the VaD group, the highest values were observed in possible VaD cases. A significant correlation between the severity of dementia and these biochemical parameters was also observed in both AD and possible VaD. The similarities of CSF pyruvate patterns observed in AD and possible VaD patients implicate a neurodegenerative component in this VaD subgroup.

Neuroendocrine evaluation of central opiate activity in primary headache disorders.

The evaluation of central opiate activity could be of clinical value in the diagnosis and treatment of pain syndromes. The current approach via direct measurement of endogenous opioid peptides in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is not devoid of side effects and cannot be used in every-day practice. As an alternative to this method, we have studied the neuroendocrine response of plasma LH to an i.v. naloxone injection in 39 headache sufferers from different diagnostic subgroups, and in 12 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Patients (19 females and 20 males) were affected by common migraine (CM, 11 cases), migraine with interparoxysmal headache (MIH, 9), classical migraine (CIM, 9), and chronic cluster headache (CH, 10). Headache lasted 3-36 years. Prior to naloxone challenge (4 mg i.v.), LH pulsatility was evaluated for 1 h. The next morning, the pituitary response to LH-RH (10 micrograms i.v.) was tested in 20 patients. Plasma LH was measured by RIA in every sample. The response to the tests was evaluated as secretion area of plasma LH minus the mean basal value. Controls (497.5 +/- 85.5 mIU/ml x 120 min), ClM (357.8 +/- 78.9) and CH (450.5 +/- 70.4) patients showed similar results, while in cases of CM (155.3 +/- 71.7, P less than 0.05) and MIH (104.1 +/- 53.7, P less than 0.01) the LH secretion after naloxone injection was significantly blunted. On the contrary, the response of LH to LH-RH was similar in controls and patient groups, thus excluding pituitary dysfunctions in this response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cytokine secretion and nitric oxide production by mononuclear cells of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Several experimental findings suggest a potential role of excessive nitric oxide (NO) production by macrophages, microglia and astrocytes in the pathogenesis of demyelinating lesions in MS. We assessed the production of nitrites by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 15 MS patients (10 F and 5 M) with the R-R form (EDSS: 1-3.0) and in 15 age-matched control subjects. 9 out of the 15 MS patients showed active lesions in MRI at the time of examination. 7 patients were also monitored at the onset, during and following a clinical relapse. Secretion of cytokines by PBMCs was assessed at the basal time and after 24 h of incubation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The production of nitrites in the supernatants of PBMCs stimulated and not stimulated with lipopolysaccharide was evaluated. The secretion of IL1 beta, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-6 IL-10 and TGF-beta by PBMCs was detected using ELISA methods. The production of NO, both basal and stimulated, was significantly higher in the patients with active lesions than in those without active lesions (p < 0.01). No significant difference was evident between the basal and LPS-stimulated production of NO between control subjects and MS patients without active lesions. During relapses there was a significant increase in NO production by PBMCs compared to the clinical stable stage of the disease (p < 0.0001). This increase was significantly greater in the early stage of relapse than in the late stage (p < 0.04). A decline of NO levels was observed during recovery. Steroid treatment induced a significant decrease in the PBMC NO production of MS patients during exacerbations (p < 0.01). The levels of IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha are significantly higher in the supernatants of the PBMCs which produced greater amounts of NO (p < 0.02, p < 0.03, p < 0.01, respectively). On the other hand, NO levels were negatively related to IL-10 and TGF-beta production (R = -75, p < 0.0001 and R = -0.79, p < 0.0001, respectively). The increase production of NO by peripheral blood mononuclear cells demonstrated in our study to be associated with increased production of proinflammatory cytokines could therefore be considered to be a marker of mononuclear cell activation in the peripheral blood of MS patients and, indirectly, of disease activity. Its increased secretion during T cell and monocyte homing in the CNF could contribute to the damage to the blood-brain barrier and the subsequent cytokine-mediated cytotoxic effect to myelin and oligodendrocytes in the white matter of MS patients.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes muscarinic cholinergic receptor subtypes in Alzheimer's disease: a marker of cholinergic dysfunction?

Muscarinic M2-M5 muscarinic cholinergic receptors were investigated in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with mild cognitive impairment of the Alzheimer's type (MCIAT), probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and probable vascular dementia (VaD). [3H]-N-methyl scopolamine (NMS) in the presence of muscarinic antagonists and Mamba venom to occlude different receptor subtypes was used as radioligand. Analysis of [3H]-NMS binding curves without receptor subtype assessment resulted in a slight decrease of receptor density in AD patients. Evaluation of receptor subtypes in MCIAT and AD patients revealed a decrease of M3 receptor by more than 50%, an increase of M4 receptor expression by about 20% and no changes of M2 or M5 receptors. The expression of M2-M5 receptors was unaltered in VaD patients. Strong positive and negative correlations respectively were found between the density of lymphocyte M3 and M4 receptors and MMSE score in both MCIAT (0.78 for M3 receptor and 0.80 for M4 receptor) and AD (0.82 for M3 receptor and 0.83 for M4 receptor) patients. These findings suggest that changes in the expression of peripheral blood lymphocyte M3 and M4 receptors in AD are related to the degree of cognitive impairment. Assessment of lymphocyte muscarinic receptor subtypes may contribute to characterization of cholinergic impairment in AD.

Cytokine secretion and eicosanoid production in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of MS patients undergoing dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

To demonstrate the influence of n-3 PUFA supplementation on cytokine and eicosanoid production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of MS patients (MSP), we investigated the impact of a 6-month dietary supplementation with these fatty acids on the levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-2, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the supernatants of stimulated PBMCs and serum soluble IL-2 receptors in a group of 20 relapsing-remitting (R-R) MSP and a group of 15 age-matched control individuals (CI). The production of PGE2 and LTB4 in the stimulated PBMCs was also assessed in patient and control groups supplemented with n-3 PUFAs. In both groups, n-3 PUFA supplementation led to a significant decrease in the levels of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha, and this reduction was more pronounced in the 3rd and 6th month of supplementation. An analogous decrease was observed in the levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma produced by stimulated PBMCs, and in the levels of serum soluble IL-2 receptors. n-3 PUFA supplementation also appeared to significantly affect prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production in PBMCs, both in MSP and the control group. The reduced production of these proinflammatory eicosanoids, and the decrease of some cytokines with an immunohenancing effect as a consequence of n-3 PUFA supplementation, could modulate some immune functions which have been demonstrated to be altered in MSP.

Radioligand binding assay of M1-M5 muscarinic cholinergic receptor subtypes in human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Analysis of lymphocyte muscarinic cholinergic receptors using quantitative techniques such as radioligand binding assay is made difficult due to the low density of these sites and the lack of subtype-specific selectivity of most available muscarinic ligands. In this study, a combined kinetic and equilibrium labeling technique recently developed for brain tissue was used for labeling the five muscarinic cholinergic receptor subtypes in intact human peripheral blood lymphocytes. No specific muscarinic M1 receptor binding was detectable in human peripheral blood lymphocytes using [3H]-pirenzepine as a ligand. Labeling of M2-M5 muscarinic receptors using [3H]N-methyl-scopolamine (NMS) by occluding various receptor subtypes with muscarinic antagonist and mamba venom resulted in the labeling of M2-M5 receptors in brain as well as in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The relative density of different receptor subtypes was M3 > M5 > M4 > M2. The development of a reproducible technique for assaying muscarinic cholinergic receptor subtypes expressed by human peripheral blood lymphocytes may contribute to clarify their role in lymphocyte function.

Study of the P300 and cerebral maps in subjects with multi-infarct dementia treated with cytidine.

A study of event-related P300 potential and cerebral EEG maps was performed in 20 patients affected by multi-infarct dementia (MID): 10 subjects were treated with placebo and 10 with cytidine. The trial was divided into three intervals. The patients, after a period of washout, were evaluated throughout the course of the trial by electrophysiological examination performed at baseline, after 90 min from the first IV injection, again after 30 days of IM therapy, and finally after 60 days of continued IM therapy. In the group treated with cytidine, the findings relevant to the study of the P300 showed a significant decrease in latency values compared to baseline (P less than 0.05 ANOVA) and an improvement. though not significant, in the amplitude values. Calculation of the mean relative power of EEG values showed a significant decrease in delta activity and an increase in alpha activity. In the subjects treated with placebo, no statistically significant variation was found in either P300 or EEG map recordings. On the basis of these investigations it has been demonstrated that the variations in the registrations can be correlated to the improved neuronal activity following treatment with cytidine.

Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in an Italian school sample: findings of a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to complete a teacher questionnaire on a sample of children (N = 232) in nine fourth grade classes in schools in two regions of central Italy to assess the frequency of occurrence of symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the rates of probable cases in the sample. METHOD: Each ADHD symptom was rated by the teacher as either absent (0), sometimes present (1) or frequently present (2). RESULTS: Of the children 3.9% had eight or more DSM-III-R Criterion A symptoms of ADHD scored at a "frequent" level (score of 2) and were considered to be "likely cases" of ADHD; an additional 6.9% did not meet this threshold but had a total score of 16 or more on the scale and were considered to be "possible cases." CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the need for more systematic epidemiological investigations to evaluate the true prevalence of the syndrome and its risk factors in the Italian population.

Psychiatric comorbidity and psychosocial stress in patients with tension-type headache from headache centers in Italy. The Italian Collaborative Group for the Study of Psychopathological Factors in Primary Headaches.

A multicenter study was carried out in 10 Italian Headache Centers to investigate the prevalence of psychosocial stress and psychiatric disorders listed by the IHS classification as the "most likely causative factors" of tension-type headache (TTH). Two hundred and seventeen TTH adult outpatients consecutively recruited underwent a structured psychiatric interview (CIDI-c). The assessment of psychosocial stress events was carried out using an ad hoc questionnaire. The psychiatric disorders that we included in the three psychiatric items of the fourth digit of the IHS classification were depressive disorders for the item depression, anxiety disorders for the item anxiety, and somatoform disorders for the item headache as a delusion or an idea. Diagnoses were made according to DSM-III-R criteria. At least one psychosocial stress event or a psychiatric disorder was detected in 84.8% of the patients. Prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity was 52.5% for anxiety, 36.4% for depression, and 21.7% for headache as a delusion or an idea. Psychosocial stress was found in 29.5% of the patients and did not differ between patients with and without psychiatric comorbidity. Generalized anxiety disorder (83.3%) and dysthymia (45.6%) were the most frequent disorders within their respective psychiatric group. The high prevalence of psychiatric disorders observed in this wide sample of patients emphasizes the need for a systematic investigation of psychiatric comorbidity aimed at a more comprehensive and appropriate clinical management of TTH patients.

Localized (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy in mainly cortical gray matter of patients with multiple sclerosis.

The brain water fraction (R), the brain water transverse relaxation time (T2), the atrophy index (alpha) and the absolute concentration of the principal brain metabolites (NAA, Cho and Cr) were measured by localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the occipito-parietal cortex (mainly gray matter) of 15 relapsing-remitting (R-R) multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 15 secondary progressive (SP) MS patients and 8 healthy subjects. Significantly lower values of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr) and the NAA/Cr ratio in the occipito-parietal cortex were detected in SP MS patients than in R-R MS and control subjects (p < 0.01). Moreover, MS patients showed shorter T2 water relaxation times and reduced brain water fraction compared with controls. Higher atrophy indices were also detected in the mainly occipito-parietal gray matter of MS patients, particularly in those with the progressive form. These findings suggest that the pathological process in MS is not limited to either white matter lesions or normal-appearing white matter but extends into the cortical gray matter (occipito-parietal), particularly in the progressive form of the disease. This can involve changes in neural metabolism or neural shrinkage and neuron loss. The significant increase in atrophy indices could be the expression of the relatively higher cerebrospinal fluid signal from the occipito-parietal cortex, even in the absence of obvious cortical atrophy.