At the first MRS assessment (Table 3), patients with MSA-C had a significantly lower NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr in the cerebellar hemispheres and vermis than those with SCA3 or SCA6, and a lower NAA/Cho in the cerebellar hemispheres than those with SCA3. This evidence concerns the gene CACNA1A and multiple system atrophy, cerebellar type.