title: Profiling differences in chemical composition of brain structures using Raman spectroscopy.
abstract: Raman spectroscopy enables non-invasive investigation of chemical composition of biological tissues. Due to similar chemical composition, the analysis of Raman spectra of brain structures and assignment of their spectral features to chemical constituents presents a particular challenge. In this study we demonstrate that standard and independent component analysis of Raman spectra is capable of assessment of differences in chemical composition between functionally related gray and white matter structures. Our results show the ability of Raman spectroscopy to successfully depict variation in chemical composition between structurally similar and/or functionally connected brain structures. The observed differences were attributed to variations in content of proteins and lipids in these structures. Independent component analysis enabled separation of contributions of major constituents in spectra and revealed spectral signatures of low-concentration metabolites. This provided finding of discrepancies between structures of striatum as well as between white matter structures. Raman spectroscopy can provide information about variations in contents of major chemical constituents in brain structures, while the application of independent component analysis performed on obtained spectra can help in revealing minute differences between closely related brain structures.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: marko@ffh.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daković
authors.forename: Aleksandra S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Stojiljković
authors.forename: Danica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bajuk-Bogdanović
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Starčević
authors.forename: Laslo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puškaš
authors.forename: Branislav
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Filipović
authors.forename: Snežana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uskoković-Marković
authors.forename: Ivanka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Holclajtner-Antunović
mesh_terms: D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D055442:Metabolome; D011149:Pons / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011506:Proteins; D012688:Septum Pellucidum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D011506:Proteins
keywords: Brain tissue; Chemical composition; Independent component analysis; Raman spectroscopy