Abstract #0311

Investigating the Metabolic Changes Due to Visual Stimulation using Functional Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy At 7T

Yan Lin^1,2, Mary C. Stephenson¹, Samuel J. Wharton¹, Lijing Xin³, Olivier E. Mougin¹, Antonio Napolitano⁴, Peter G. Morris¹

¹Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom; ²Medical Imaging Department, Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China, People's Republic of; ³Laboratory of Functional & Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Poly technique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; ⁴Academic Radiology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Previous functional proton MRS studies of the activated human brain at 7T investigated the changes in the levels of Lac, Glu, Asp and Glc, these related mainly to oxidative energy metabolism. Our results demonstrate the changes in Glu (increased by 2%1%), Gln (decreased by 5%3%), Asp(decreased by 9%6%), Lac(increased by 9%6%), Glc (decreased by 30%14%), GSH (increased by 7%2%), and Gly (decreased by 19%5%), in response to visual stimulation. On the basis of these results from the visual cortex, we propose an increase in oxidative metabolism, excitatory neurotransmitter cycling and GSH synthesis, possibly related to Glu clearance and ROS detoxification.