Abstract #2966

Lactate-Edited MRS in Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Ruth L. O'Gorman¹, Carola Sabandal¹, Vera Bernet¹, Cornelia Hagmann², Martin A. Janich³, Ralph Noeske⁴

¹University Children's Hospital, Zurich, CH, Switzerland; ²University Hospital, Zurich, CH, Switzerland; ³Diagnostics & Biomedical Tech Laboratory, GE Global Research, Mnchen, Germany; ⁴Applied Science Laboratory, GE Healthcare, Berlin, Germany

This study investigates the relative sensitivity of lactate editing in comparison to standard PRESS MRS for detecting lactate in neonates with suspected hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Measured lactate concentrations and Lac/NAA ratios were higher for the lactate-edited spectra relative to corresponding values from standard PRESS (TE=35/144 ms). The short TE (35 ms) and lactate-edited spectra show comparable sensitivity to lactate but the specificity and fit reliability was higher for the lactate-edited spectra. Therefore, lactate-edited MRS can improve the specificity and reliability of lactate detection in infants with suspected HIE, particularly in the presence of strong lipid signals.