title: Metabolic assessment of the human pons by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the normal mean reference normal value for metabolic ratios in the pons of healthy adult Chinese subjects by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HMRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty healthy Chinese subjects, ranging in age from 21 to 60 years, were divided into four groups, each containing 20 subjects per decade. The pons of every subject was scanned on single-voxel 1HMRS by using the point-resolved proton spectroscopy sequence (PRESS) with echo time (TE)=144 ms and repetition time (TR)=1500 ms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total mean ratios of N-acetylasparate/creatine-phosphocreatine (NAA/Cr), NAA/choline-containing compounds (Cho) and Cho/Cr in subjects ranging from 21 to 60 years were 2.13+/-0.07, 1.22+/-0.11 and 1.81+/-0.09 respectively. The highest metabolite ratios were seen in the 41-50 year group. There was no significant difference with respect to age or gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ratios of NAA/Cr, NAA/Cho or Cho/Cr in the pons did not correlate with the age or gender of healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Dongxia Bei Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China. jtguan@126.com
authors.forename: Ji-Tian
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Xiao-Hu
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yi-Qun
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Xiao-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ren-Hua
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000378:metabolism; D011149:Pons / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011522:Protons; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011522:Protons; D010725:Phosphocreatine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline