Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: biochemical evaluation of brain function in vivo and in vitro.

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) offers a unique opportunity to monitor mmolar concentrations of high energy phosphates, glucose, lactate and amino acids. The possibility of obtaining information about chemical constituents noninvasively is of great importance. MRS and chemical shift imaging (CSl) are emerging as tools for tumor grading, monitoring of treatment, ischemia research, in pediatric research for follow-up of children with borderline mental retardation, for defining brain death and to define epileptic foci