Abstract #3235

Shanbhag D, Dunham S, Knight-Scott J

In this study, we examined TE modulation of the glutamate (Glu) and glutamine (Gln) spectral patterns for both the STEAM and PRESS localization sequences at 3-T to determine the optimal TE for resolving Glu and Gln. NMR-SCOPE simulations suggest that at 3-T, Glu is best resolved from Gln at very short echo times (< 10 ms), irrespective of the localization technique. Specifically, the Glu C-4 proton multiplet at 2.34 ppm is well resolved from the nearest Gln resonance, the C-2 proton multiplet at 2.44 ppm. However, since STEAM provides greater suppression of the Gln resonances and is capable of shorter echo times than PRESS, we propose that with the current technology, a very short TE STEAM provides an optimal strategy for the detection of Glu in vivo.