Neuroimaging Diagnosis for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias by Hiroshi Matsuda Takashi Asada & Aya Midori Tokumaru

Author:Hiroshi Matsuda, Takashi Asada & Aya Midori Tokumaru
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Japan, Tokyo

7.3.1 N-Acetylaspartate (NAA)

NAA is an amino acid present in the brain in high concentrations, second in amount to glutamic acid. Interestingly, NAA is found only in the central and peripheral nervous systems and is thought to reflect neuronal density and dysfunction. The NAA concentrations in the brains of mammals and birds are especially high (up to 10 mM), while in the brains of amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates, it is much lower [8, 9]. The NAA concentration in the peripheral nervous system and the retina is about 10–20% that of the levels in the central nervous system [10–12]. NAA shows a conspicuous singlet peak at 2.02 from the N-acetyl (CH3–CO–NH–) moiety in vivo MRS and has attracted intense interesting from researchers, but little is known about its metabolism and functions. Several functions have been suggested to explain the presence and amount of NAA in the nervous system, including the following:1.NAA works as an osmoregulator/molecular water pump, removing metabolic water from neurons [13].

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