Proton MR spectroscopic imaging of the medulla and cervical spinal cord.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the feasibility of quantitative, one-dimensional proton MR spectroscopic imaging (1D-MRSI) of the upper cervical spine and medulla at 3.0 Tesla.


METHODS
A method was developed for 1D-point-resolved spectroscopy sequence (PRESS)-MRSI, exciting signal in five voxels extending from the pontomedullary junction to the level of the C3 vertebra, and performed in 10 healthy volunteers to generate control data.


RESULTS
High-resolution 1D-MRSI data were obtained from all 10 subjects. Upper cervical spine concentrations of choline, creatine, and N-acetyl aspartate were estimated to be 2.8 +/- 0.5, 8.8 +/- 1.8, and 10.9 +/- 2.7 mM, respectively, while in the medulla they were 2.6 +/- 0.5, 9.1 +/- 1.7, and 10.8 +/- 0.9 mM.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative 1D-MRSI of the upper cervical spine has been shown to be feasible at 3.0 Tesla.
Edden
Richard A E
RA
Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Bonekamp
David
D
Smith
Mari A
MA
Dubey
Prachi
P
Barker
Peter B
PB
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000473:pathology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D011522:Protons; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013131:Spine / Q000473:pathology
D011522:Protons; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline