SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2025
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in cervical spondylotic myelopathy: a systematic review of metabolite changes and clinical correlations.
Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Association Between Cerebellar Metabolic Markers and Activities of Daily Living in Patients With Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3.Molecular genetics & genomic medicine · 2026Article
- Current and future advances in practice: cervical spondylosis and mechanical neck pain.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a common degenerative condition characterized by narrowing of the cervical spinal canal, leading to progressive spinal cord injury and functional decline. While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for diagnosing CSM, it has limitations in predicting clinical outcomes. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) offers metabolic insights that may enhance diagnostic and prognostic capabilities in CSM. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. Comprehensive literature searches were performed in PubMed, OVID, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to June 2023. Studies included human subjects with CSM, a cohort of at least 10 patients, and reported primary data on cervical spine MRS findings correlated with clinical scales such as the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale, both pre- and post-operatively. Results: Six prospective studies involving 123 patients (average age 45.8 to 63 years) met the inclusion criteria. Common symptoms were neck pain, radicular upper-limb pain, paresthesia, and motor impairment. MRS findings indicated that symptomatic CSM patients had reduced N-acetyl aspartate to creatine (NAA/Cr) ratios and elevated choline to creatine (Cho/Cr) and choline to NAA (Cho/NAA) ratios compared to healthy controls. Lactate peaks were detected in a significant proportion of symptomatic patients, suggesting hypoxic or inflammatory injury. Decreased NAA/Cr and increased Cho/NAA ratios correlated with lower mJOA scores, indicating more severe myelopathy. Post-operative increases in NAA/Cr ratios and decreases in Cho/NAA ratios were associated with improved mJOA scores, highlighting the prognostic value of these metabolites. Conclusion: MRS provides valuable metabolic information correlating with clinical severity and functional outcomes in CSM. Reduced NAA/Cr and elevated Cho/Cr and Cho/NAA ratios are associated with more severe disease and may predict surgical recovery. MRS shows promise as a non-invasive tool for enhancing the diagnosis and management of CSM. Further research is needed to standardize protocols, validate findings in larger cohorts, and integrate MRS into clinical practice.
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