title: Asymmetric metabolic profile in mesial temporal lobes: localized H-1 MR spectroscopy in healthy right-handed and non-right-handed subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine a possible asymmetric metabolic profile in right- handed and non-right-handed healthy subjects by comparing proton spectra from temporal lobes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight healthy adults (17 right-handers, 11 non-right-handers) underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and single-voxel MR spectroscopy. N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), and creatine (Cr) peak areas were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Volume of hippocampal formations was larger on the right in right-handers (right volume: 4.04 cm3 +/- 0.67 vs left volume: 3.84 cm3 +/- 0.62; P = .00004) and in non-right-handers (right volume: 4.22 cm3 +/- 0.78 vs left volume: 4.05 cm3 +/- 0.80; P = .004). NAA/Cho was significantly higher in the left temporal lobe of right-handers (right lobe: 1.53 +/- 0.18 vs left lobe: 1.89 +/- 0.18; P=.00004) as was NAA/Cr (right lobe: 1.79 +/- 0.36 vs left lobe: 2.45 +/- 0.45; P=.0001). No statistically significant difference was noted for these ratios in non-right-handers: NAA/Cho (right lobe: 1.49 +/- 0.18 vs left lobe: 1.61 +/- 0.35) and NAA/Cr (right lobe: 1.93 +/- 0.45 vs left lobe: 2.40 +/- 0.70).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A clear metabolic asymmetry observed in right-handers is less clear-cut in non-right-handers. Both tendencies should be considered when assessing the brain metabolism of patients with uni- or bilateral disorders, such as temporal lobe epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of MR Imaging and Spectroscopy, CHRU Dijon, Hôpital d'Enfants, 21034 Dijon, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baudouin-Poisson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giroud
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fayolle
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dumas
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Binnert
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brunotte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism*