A quantitative analysis of 1H-MR spectroscopy at 3.0 T of three brain regions from childhood to middle age

Objective:To study age-related metabolic changes in different brain regions.Methods:Point-resolved spectroscopy (repetition time/echo time = 2000 ms/30 ms) was performed in the left and right hippocampus, the left thalamus and the left centrum semiovale of 80 healthy subjects (37 females and 43 males aged 7–64 years). Analysis of covariance and linear regression were used for statistical analysis. Both metabolite concentration ratios with respect to total creatine (tCr) and absolute metabolite concentrations were included for analysis.Results:Ins (myo-inositol)/tCr (p < 0.001) and absolute Ins concentration (p = 0.031) were significantly increased with age after adolescence. NAA (N-acetylaspartic acid)/tCr (p < 0.001) and absolute NAA concentration (p = 0.010) significantly declined with age after adolescence.Conclusion:Age-related increase of Ins and decline of NAA are found in all three regions, especially at the hippocampus, indicating possible gliosis in the ageing brain.Advances in knowledge:We could...