Quantification of T1 and T2 Metabolite Relaxation Times in Healthy Brain at 7T

Motivation: Relaxation times of brain metabolites are important for optimization of MR spectroscopy (MRS) and absolute quantification. Prior research has primarily examined relaxation times at 3T rather than 7T. Goal(s): To quantify T1 and T2 relaxation times of brain metabolites in a single scan session and same volunteers at 7T. Approach: Single-voxel MRS was acquired in the posterior cingulate cortex of healthy adults (N=6) at 7T using multi-TI and multi-TE acquisitions to quantify T1 and T2 relaxation times, respectively. Results: T1 relaxation times were reliably quantified for 20 metabolites, and T2 times for 11 metabolites, including previously unreported metabolites. Impact: T1 and T2 relaxation times of brain metabolites were measured at 7T in the same subjects and scan session. Previously unreported relaxation times were quantified for several metabolites, which are useful for optimizing acquisition parameters and quantifying absolute metabolite concentrations.