Evaluation of efficacy of an automated single-voxel proton MRS algorithm on a 3T system.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of a fully automatic, single-voxel, proton MR spectroscopy algorithm on a 3.0T MR system.


METHODS
The PROBE/SVQ algorithm (GE Medical Systems) was evaluated on a General Electric (GE) Signa LX-3T system. Ten normal volunteers (female, 21.1+/-2.0 years old) participated in the study. Nine representative regions of interest were examined, namely, right and left frontal white matter; right and left parietal white matter; right and left basal ganglia; right and left dentate nucleus; and pons.


RESULTS
The mean coefficients of variation in all regions for the N-acetyl-aspartate to creatine ratio (NAA/Cr), choline to creatine ratio (Cho/Cr), and choline to N-acetyl-aspartate ratio (Cho/NAA) were 10.2+/-2.4%, 11.4+/-3.2% and 12.6+/-1.4%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
A fully automated spectroscopic examination under clinical setting utilizing the PROBE/SVQ algorithm appears to be a reliable method, extending the window of routine clinical assessment of brain metabolism.
Ohkubo
Masaki
M
Department of Radiological Technology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niigata, 2-746 Asahimachi-dohri, Niigata-shi, Niigata 951-8518, Japan. mook@clg.niigata-u.ac.jp
Kimura
Teruo
T
Matsuzawa
Hitoshi
H
Matsuda
Tsuyoshi
T
Kwee
Ingrid L
IL
Nakada
Tsutomu
T
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001331:Automation; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*
D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline