Proton NMR studies of brain metabolism

As a result of several technical developments that have taken place over the past few years, it is now possible to obtain 1H spectra of very high quality from localized regions of the human brain. 1H spectroscopy provides scope for detecting a wide range of metabolites, and offers spatial resolution that is superior to that available with other nuclei. The animal and clinical studies that have so far been reported indicate that abnormal 1H spectra are associated with a variety of disorders of the brain. Among the metabolites of interest are lactate and N-acetylaspartate. The signal from lactate can provide information about abnormal glycolytic metabolism, for example in brain tumours and cerebrovascular disease. N-Acetylaspartate is believed to be located primarily in neurons, and its signal could prove to be particularly useful as a non-invasive marker for neurons.