Meeting Banner
Abstract #4046

Proton(1H) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: Absolute Metabolite Concentrations in Normal Aging Human Brain at 3Tesla

Pui Wai Chiu1, Henry Ka Fung Mak, Queenie Chan2, Kai Wing Kelvin Yau3, Leung Wing Chu4

1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, the University of Hong Kong, HK, Hong Kong; 2Philips Healthcare, Hong Kong; 3Department of Management Sciences, City University of Hong Kong; 4Department of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong


Absolute quantitation of metabolite levels in magnetic resonance spectroscopy can be done at 3T with better signal-to-noise ratio. In this study, proton spectroscopy of different limbic structures was used to study relationship of metabolites with aging in Chinese brain. Single-voxel spectroscopy was employed, using internal water as reference and voxel based morphometry for cerebrospinal fluid correction. In anterior and posterior cingulates, Choline, Creatine(Cre) and N-Acetylaspatate(NAA) all show significant positive correlation with age. For left hippocampus, only Cre and NAA reveal significant correlation with age. Our findings contradicted NAA decline with age as reported in previous studies.