Multi-slice Echo-Planar Spectroscopic MR Imaging Provides Both Global and Local Metabolite Measures in Multiple Sclerosis

Henrik Kahr Mathiesen, Thomas Tscherning, Per Soelberg Sørensen, Henrik B.W. Larsson, Egill Rostrup, Olaf B. Paulson, Lars G. Hanson

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

MR spectroscopy (MRS) provides information about neuronal loss or dysfunction by measuring decreases in N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), a metabolite widely believed to be a marker of neuronal viability. In multiple sclerosis (MS), whole-brain NAA (WBNAA) has been suggested as a marker of disease progression and treatment efficacy in treatment trials, and the ability to measure NAA loss in specific brain regions early in the evolution of this disease may have prognostic value. Most spectroscopic studies to date have been limited to single voxels or nonlocalized measurements of WBNAA only, and longitudinal studies have often been hampered by standardization and reproducibility problems. Multi-slice echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) is presented as a promising alternative to singlevoxel or nonlocalized spectroscopy for obtaining global metabolite estimates in MS. In the same session, measurements of metabolites in specific brain areas chosen after image acquisition (e.g., normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), gray matter(GM), and lesions) can be obtained. The identification and exclusion of regions that are inadequate for spectroscopic evaluation in global assessments can significantly improve quality and reproducibility, as demonstrated by a low within-subject variance in healthy controls. The reproducibility of the technique makes it a promising tool for future longitudinal spectroscopic studies of MS.
Keyword: Multi-slice echo planar spectroscopic imaging,Multiple sclerosis,Normal-appearing white matter,Lesions,Whole-brain NAA,Gray matter
Original languageEnglish
JournalMagnetic Resonance in Medicine
Volume53
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)750-759
ISSN0740-3194
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2005
Externally publishedYes

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