title: Multivoxel MRS: right frontal parafalcine cortex - area of neurobiochemical gender differentiation?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the presence of gender neurometabolic differences in healthy men and women by multivoxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed multivoxel magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in 50 healthy volunteers (27 women and 23 men) using 1.5T scanner. Spectra from 12 different voxels were obtained, covering frontal, paracentral, and parietal white and gray matter. Three dominant signals were analyzed: NAA, tCr and Cho, and expressed as ratios of Cho/tCr, NAA/tCr, NAA/Cho.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was statistically significant gender difference between Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr metabolites ratio in only one location - the right frontal parafalcine cortex. There was no statistically significant difference in NAA/Cho ratio between men and women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that right frontal parafalcine cortex is a sexually dysmorphic area and supports the value of multivoxel MRS as a method able to define spatial biochemical heterogeneity of the cerebral tissue.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncology Sremska Kamenica, University of Novi Sad School of Medicine, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia. jelenamarkovicostojic@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ostojic
authors.forename: Dusko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kozic
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucic
authors.forename: Jasmina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Konstantinovic
authors.forename: Nadezda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Covickovic-Sternic
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pavlovic
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bogdanovic-Stojanovic
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Semnic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline