Yan Lin1,2, 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.