Brain Metabolic Alterations in Adult Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumours Mapped through Multi-Voxel 1H MRS

Motivation: Neuropsychological impact of the long-term brain tumour treatment and disease sequelae in paediatric patients is poorly understood. Goal(s): To map tissue-specific alterations in creatine, choline and N-acetyl-aspartate in a highly unique patient population of childhood brain tumour survivors. Approach: Development of a processing pipeline to enable quantification and visualization of multi-voxel 1H MR spectroscopy to assess metabolic changes within the brain. Results: This study highlights metabolic alterations in adults treated for childhood brain tumours, with reduction of NAA in patients' white matter suggesting persistent axonal loss or damage even 15 years post-diagnosis. Impact: Multi-voxel 1H MR spectroscopy combined with corresponding anatomical MRI can provide insight into metabolic brain alterations. Our study suggests alterations related to axonal loss in adults treated for childhood brain tumours, offering insights into long-term effects of early-life cancer therapies.