Short-TE semi-LASER 1H MRS of the primary motor cortex in ALS and controls at 7 Tesla

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) can offer a unique, non-invasive tool for measuring the neurochemicals in the brain in vivo. This technique may be useful for studying the ratio of metabolites in both health and disease, including in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), where differing neuronal populations of the motor cortex are impacted. This study aimed to develop a 7T MRS protocol for ALS patients and measured metabolite ratios in the upper and lower limb regions of the motor cortex at 7T in controls and in ALS. This has the potential to improve progression monitoring and diagnostic certainty in early-stage disease.