Abstract #1776

First Direct 13C Detection of Glucose Metabolism in the Mouse Brain at 9.4T Using a 13C-Cryo-Coil

Markus Sack¹,², Gabriele Ende¹, Alexander Sartorius²,³, Wolfgang Weber-Fahr¹,²

¹Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany; ²Translational Imaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany; ³Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany

¹³C MRS suffers from an extremely low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to ¹H MRI/MRS due to the low Larmor frequency and low natural abundance. Because of the small brain size the approach of dynamic ¹³C MRS in mice is even more challenging but provides the advantage of investigating mouse models. We present in vivo data from one of the first ¹³C-cryo-coils for mouse brain imaging using an ISISDEPT sequence and [1-¹³C]-enriched glucose on a 9.4T scanner. The obtained spectra show a good SNR and proof that the use of a cryo-coil is feasible for ¹³C MRS in the mouse brain.