title: Clinical applications of 1H-MR spectroscopy in the evaluation of epilepsies--what do pathological spectra stand for with regard to current results and what answers do they give to common clinical questions concerning the treatment of epilepsies?
abstract: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) is a non-invasive method in detecting abnormal spectra of various brain metabolites containing N-acetylaspartate (NAA), Choline (Cho), Creatine (Cr), gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Glutamate. Technical processing of the MR-systems, improved automated shimming methods and further development of special shim coils increase the magnetic field homogeneity and lead to a better spectral quality and spectral resolution. The handling of the systems becomes more user-friendly and is more likely to be used in routine diagnostics. The 1H-MRS has become a diagnostic tool for assessing a number of diseases of the central nervous system mainly including epilepsies and brain tumours. The role of 1H-MRS in the assessment of epilepsies will probably increase in future. In the following article, the principles of 1H-MRS and an overview of it in the evaluation and treatment of epilepsies with special regard to temporal lobe epilepsies (TLE) has been illustrated.
authors.affiliation: Clinics of Neurology, Center Epilepsy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hammen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stefan
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Eberhardt
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: W-Huk
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Tomandl
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results