32.

Abstract

Longitudinal changes in cerebral volume have been described in ischaemic stroke and may correlate with long-term outcome. We tested the hypothesis that baseline peri-infarct concentration of the neuronal metabolite N-acetylaspartic acid (NAA) correlates with subsequent cerebral volume change after stroke. Patients with supratentorial ischaemic stroke underwent 3Tesla MRI within 1 week and at 1 and 3 months from onset. Structural imaging involved a T1-weighted axial magnetization prepared rapid gradient echo (1mm slices, repetition time 1.9s, echo time 2.82ms). NAA estimation was performed at baseline using single-voxel spectroscopy (3×3×3cm voxels, echo time 30 ms) with the voxel placed in t..