Abstract
The purpose was to assess changes in lactate content and other brain metabolites under visual stimulation in optical chiasm, optic radiations and occipital cortex using multiple voxel MR spectroscopy (MRS). 1H chemical shift imaging (CSI) examinations of transverse planes centered to include the above structures were performed in four subjects at an echo time of 135 ms. Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to confirm the presence of activity in the visual cortex during the visual stimulation. Spectral maps of optical chiasm were of poor quality due to field disturbances caused by nearby large blood vessels and/or eye movements. The optic radiations and the occipital lobe did not show any significant MR spectral change upon visual stimulation, i.e., the peak areas of inositol, choline, creatine, glutamate and N-acetylaspartate were not affected. Reproducible lactate signals were not observed. fMRI confirmed the presence of strong activations in stimulated visual cortex. Prolonged visual stimulation did not cause significant changes in MR spectra. Any signal observed near the 1.33 ppm resonance frequency of the lactate methyl-group was artifactual, originating from lipid signals from outside the volume of interest (VOI). Previous claims about changes in lactate levels in the visual cortex upon visual stimulation may have been based on such erroneous observations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Magistretti PJ, Pellerin L, Rothman DL, Shulman RG (1999) Energy on demand. Science 283:496–497
Prichard J, Rothman D, Novotny E, Petroff O, Kuwabara T, Avison M, Howseman A, Hanstock C, Shulman R (1991) Lactate rise detected by 1H NMR in human visual cortex during physiologic stimulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:5829–5831
Sappey-Marinier D, Calabrese G, Fein G, Hugg JW, Biggins C, Weiner MW (1992) Effect of photic stimulation on human visual cortex lactate and phosphates using 1H and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 12:584–592
Kuwabara T, Wanatabe H, Tanaka K, Tsuji S, Ohkubo M, Ito T, Sakai K, Yuasa T (1994) Mitochondrial encephalopathy: elevated visual cortex lactate unresponsive to photic stimulation—a localized 1H MRS study. Neurology 44:557–559
Frahm J, Krüger G, Merboldt KD, Hänicke W, Kleinschmidt A (1996) Dynamic uncoupling and recoupling of perfusion and oxidative metabolism during focal brain activation. Magn Reson Med 35:143–148
Merboldt K-D, Bruhn H, Haenicke W, Michaelis T, Frahm J (1992) Decrease of glucose in the human visual cortex during photic stimulation. Magn Reson Med 25:187–194
Etta A, Fischer-Klein C, Chemelli A, Daxer A, Felber S (1994) Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Principles and applications in neuro-opthalmology. Int Opthalmology 18:171–181
Mangia S, Garreffa G, Bianciardi M, Giove F, Di Salle F, Maraviglia B (2003) The aerobic brain: lactate decrease at the onset of neural activity. Neuroscience 118:7–10
Sijens PE, van den Bent MJ, Nowak PJCM, van Dijk P, Oudkerk M (1997) 1H Chemical shift imaging reveals loss of brain tumor choline signal after administration of Gd-contrast agent. Magn Reson Med 37:222–225
Wandell BA (1999) Computational neuroimaging of human visual cortex. Annu Rev Neurosci 22:145–173
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Boucard, C.C., Mostert, J.P., Cornelissen, F.W. et al. Visual stimulation, 1H MR spectroscopy and fMRI of the human visual pathways. Eur Radiol 15, 47–52 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-004-2494-y
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-004-2494-y