Yan Lin1, Mary Charlotte Stephenson1,
Samuel James Wharton1, Olivier Mougin1, Antonio
Napolitano2, Peter G. Morris1
1Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance
Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United
Kingdom; 2Academic Radiology, University of Nottingham,
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
The
purpose of the present study was to use the improved SNR and spectral
resolution available at 7T to study changes in 1H metabolite
levels in the visual cortex on visual stimulation. Specifically, the aim was
to confirm and quantify the increase in glutamate/glutamine levels suggested
by others, and to investigate further any lactate response to visual
stimulation. We found a significant increase in glutamate of 6.13%4.6% on
visual stimulation, similar to that reported by Mangia et al (2007). However,
we do not find evidence for the increase in glutamine and lactate, or a
decrease in aspartate, as previously reported.
Keywords