Introduction Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration, with significant alterations in brain biochemistry. While previous studies have investigated various aspects of AD, the specific lipid changes in key brain regions remain inadequately defined.

Objective To quantitatively evaluate lipid levels within the amygdala and frontal cortex regions of interest using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) in a cohort of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of individuals with confirmed AD compared to healthy controls.

Methods Thirty MRI examinations from individuals with confirmed AD were compared to 30 normal controls. MRS data were acquired using a 1.5T scanner, focusing on lipid peaks within specific frequency ranges. A voxel-based MRS technique was employed to assess lipid concentrations, focusing on spectral data in defined frequency ranges associated with lipid presence. Lipid concentrations were quantified, and statistical comparisons were performed between groups using the t-test.

Results MRS analysis revealed distinct lipid peaks in both the amygdala and frontal cortex of AD patients, with frequencies indicating elevated lipid concentrations compared to controls. In the amygdala, increased lipid concentrations were observed in the 2.5-3.5 ppm range, suggesting alterations in lipid composition. The similar findings were observed in the frontal cortex, with AD patients showing significantly elevated lipid peaks within the 3.0-4.5 ppm range.

Conclusion Our results underscore the potential of MRS to identify lipid alterations in AD, suggesting that lipid profiles in the amygdala and frontal cortex could serve as biomarkers for disease progression and provide understanding into neurodegenerative mechanisms.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study did not receive any funding

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

According to Article 1, Sole Paragraph, of Resolution No. 510, 2016, the following shall not be registered or evaluated by the Research Ethics Committee, National Research Ethics Commission System, Brazil, Research utilizing databases in which the information is aggregated, with no possibility of individual identification.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

All data produced in the present work are contained in the manuscript