Spinal cord metabolism and muscle water diffusion in whiplash.

Abstract

Case series. To quantify spinal cord metabolites and neck muscle fast and slow water diffusion in a small sample of patients with chronic whiplash and healthy controls. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In five subjects with chronic whiplash and seven controls, we performed magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the cervical spinal cord and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the cervical multifidus muscle. Significant reductions in N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratios were found in subjects with chronic whiplash when compared with healthy controls (P = 0.02). Significantly higher fast apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were found in chronic whiplash when compared with the healthy controls (P = 0.01). There was no difference in slow ADCs between the two groups (P = 0.3). The potential value of MRS and DWI to quantify the presence of neuromuscular degeneration as a potential mechanism underlying chronic whiplash is recognized. Larger-scaled prospective studies are warranted and required.