title: Temporal brain metabolite changes in preterm infants with normal development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preterm infants are at high risk for developmental delay, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders. Some reports have described associations between these conditions and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) dysfunction; however, no study has evaluated temporal changes in GABA in preterm infants. Therefore, we assessed temporal changes in brain metabolites including GABA using single-voxel 3-Tesla (T) proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in preterm infants with normal development.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed 3T1H-MRS at 37-46 postmenstrual weeks (PMWs, period A) and 64-73PMWs (period B). GABA was assessed with the MEGA-PRESS method. N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), glutamate-glutamine complex (Glx), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and myo-inositol (Ins) were assessed with the PRESS method. Metabolite concentrations were automatically calculated using LCModel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected from 20 preterm infants for periods A and B (medians [ranges], 30 [24-34] gestational weeks, 1281 [486-2030]g birth weight). GABA/Cr ratio decreased significantly in period B (p=0.03), but there was no significant difference in GABA/Cho ratios (p=0.58) between the two periods. In period B, NAA/Cr, Glx/Cr, NAA/Cho, and Glx/Cho ratios were significantly increased (p<0.01), whereas Cho/Cr, Ins/Cr, and Ins/Cho ratios were significantly decreased (p<0.01). There was no significant difference for GABA or Cho concentrations (p=0.52, p=0.22, respectively). NAA, Glx, and Cr concentrations were significantly increased (p<0.01), whereas Ins was significantly decreased (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results provide new information on normative values of brain metabolites in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanifuji
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan. Electronic address: manami-imed@umin.net.
authors.forename: Manami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akasaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Nami
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Araya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asami
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Genichiro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sotodate
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shirasawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Syuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kusano
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chida
authors.affiliation: Division of Ultrahigh Field MRI, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Iwate Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: GE Healthcare Japan Corporation, MR Applications and Workflow Asia Pacific, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000378:metabolism*
keywords: Brain metabolites; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Preterm infants