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Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

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Neuroimaging Techniques in Clinical Practice

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Abstract

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is an established, non-invasive imaging technique for quantifying regional tissue biochemistry. It forms a valuable technique for the research and clinical evaluation of various neurological diseases. This chapter introduces the modality, describes typically evaluated metabolites, outlines evidence-based clinical applications and ends with a case description.

Our aim is to provide the reader with an understanding of the current roles and limitations of spectroscopy in neuroimaging and provide a base from which to begin interpreting proton spectra. The focus is on clinical applications that have robust evidence supporting the use of spectroscopy, provided by systematic reviews and meta-analyses where available.

We have focused this chapter on proton spectroscopy (H-MRS) because it is the most widely available, validated spectroscopy technique, and does not require any additional hardware beyond what is already being used for structural MRI.

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Abbreviations

GABA:

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

Gln:

Glutamine

Glu:

Glutamate

Lac:

Lactate

mI:

Myo-inositol

NAA:

N-acetylaspartate

PRESS:

Point-resolved spectroscopy

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

STEAM:

Stimulated echo acquisition mode

tCho, Cho:

Total choline, choline

tCr, Cr:

Total creatine, creatine

TE:

Time to echo

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Hospitals Plymouth, NHS Trust, Plymouth, UK

    Lucy McGavin & Amoolya Mannava

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  1. Lucy McGavin
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  2. Amoolya Mannava
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Correspondence to Lucy McGavin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University Clinic for Radiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Manoj Mannil

  2. Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Sebastian F.-X. Winklhofer

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McGavin, L., Mannava, A. (2020). Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. In: Mannil, M., Winklhofer, SX. (eds) Neuroimaging Techniques in Clinical Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48419-4_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48419-4_17

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