Brain regional distribution pattern of metabolite signal intensities in young adults by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging

G. Tedeschi; A. Bertolino; A. Righini; G. Campbell; R. Raman; J. H. Duyn; C.T.W. Moonen; J. R. Alger; G. Di Chiro

doi:10.1212/WNL.45.7.1384

Brain regional distribution pattern of metabolite signal intensities in young adults by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging

G. Tedeschi, MD,
A. Bertolino, MD,
A. Righini, MD,
G. Campbell, PhD,
R. Raman, MD,
J. H. Duyn, PhD,
C.T.W. Moonen, PhD,
J. R. Alger, PhD and
G. Di Chiro, MD

From the Neuroimaging Branch (Drs. Tedeschi, Bertolino, Righini, Raman, Alger, and Di Chiro) and the Biometry and Field Studies Branch (Dr. Campbell), NINDS, and the In Vivo NMR Research Center (Drs. Duyn and Moonen), NCRR, NIH, Bethesda, MD; and the UCLA Department of Radiological Sciences (Dr. Alger), Los Angeles, CA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Gioacchino Tedeschi, Neuroimaging Branch, NINDS, NIH, Building 10, Room 1C451, 9002 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Abstract

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) is evolving from single-volume localized acquisitions to multiple-volume acquisitions using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (^lH-MRSI). The normal regional patterns of ¹H-MRSI-detectable metabolite signal intensities have yet to be established. We studied 13 healthy young adults with a multiple-section ^lH-MRSI technique. The metabolite signals measured were N-acetylaspartate (NA), cho-line-containing compounds (CHO), creatine-phosphocreatine (CRE), and lactate. Ten neuroanatomic regions (nine bilateral) were identified in gray matter, white matter, and basal nuclei. Analysis of the data led to the following conclusions: (1) NA and CHO signals from centrum semiovale (CSO) can be used as a normalizing factor to reduce intersub-ject variability due to external causes; (2) in normal human brain, there is no left versus right asymmetry in the regions studied; (3) statistically significant patterns of signal distribution of NA, CHO, and CRE can be identified in normal human brain; and (4) CSO-normalized metabolite signal intensities and metabolite ratios complement each other for the detection of significant regional differences.