Abstract #2348

MEGA-Edited Detection of Metabolites with Coupled Spin-Systems: Simulations at High Field Strengths

Richard A E Edden¹, He Zhu^2,3, Peter B. Barker^2,3

¹Schools of Chemistry and Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK; ²Russell H Morgan Department of Radiology and, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; ³FM Kirby Research Center for Functional MRI, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA

The MEGA-PRESS pulse sequence is increasingly being used for detection of compounds such as GABA, as well as more recently for distinguishing NAAG from NAA. High field systems (above 3T) are also becoming available, and promise improved SNR and chemical shift dispersion (in Hz), which should give improved editing performance. However, editing efficiency also depends on the evolution of spin-spin coupling modulation patterns, which are field strength dependent. This abstract presents results of spin system simulations for GABA, NAA and NAAG at field strenghts of 3, 7 and 9.4T.