Neonatal Brain Metabolite Concentrations: An In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study with a Clinical MR System at 3 Tesla

Abstract

Brain metabolite concentrations change dynamically throughout development, especially during early childhood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the brain metabolite concentrations of neonates (postconceptional age (PCA): 30 to 43 weeks) using single-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and to discuss the relationships between the changes in the concentrations of such metabolites and brain development during the neonatal period. A total of 83 neonatal subjects were included using the following criteria: the neonates had to be free of radiological abnormalities, organic illness, and neurological symptoms; the MR spectra had to have signal-to-noise ratios ≥ 4; and the estimated metabolite concentrations had to display Cramér-Rao lower bounds of ≤ 30%. MRS data (echo time/repetition time, 30/5000 ms; 3T) were acquired from the basal ganglia (BG), centrum semiovale (CS), and the cerebellum. The concentrations of five metabolites were measured: creatine, choline, N-acetylaspartate, myo-inositol, and glutamate/glutamine complex (Glx). One hundred and eighty-four MR spectra were obtained (83 BG, 77 CS, and 24 cerebellum spectra). Creatine, N-acetylaspartate, and Glx displayed increases in their concentrations with PCA. Choline was not correlated with PCA in any region. As for myo-inositol, its concentration decreased with PCA in the BG, whereas it increased with PCA in the cerebellum. Quantitative brain metabolite concentrations and their changes during the neonatal period were assessed. Although the observed changes were partly similar to those detected in previous reports, our results are with more subjects (n = 83), and higher magnetic field (3T). The metabolite concentrations examined in this study and their changes are clinically useful indices of neonatal brain development.

Early metabolic development of posteromedial cortex and thalamus in humans analyzed via in vivo quantitative magnetic resonance spectroscopy

“…Most metabolite concentrations were similar to those previously reported by others despite differences in methodology as summarized in Table (Kreis et al, ; Pouwels and Frahm, ; Pouwels et al, ; Sarchielli et al, ; Horska et al, ; Schubert et al, ; Minati et al, ; Tomiyasu et al, ).…”

Elucidating Metabolic Maturation in the Healthy Fetal Brain Using1H-MR Spectroscopy

“…This represents a more accurate estimation of the absolute metabolite concentrations otherwise underestimated if this correction is not used. 25 Inherent limitations with metabolite ratios and misconceptions that they self-correct for type of scanner, localization method differences, gain instabilities, regional susceptibility variations, and partial volume effects are addressed using absolute metabolite concentrations in addition to ratios.…”

“…23 This was set in the LCModel parameter "WCONC" rather than 35,880 mmol/L used as the default value for white matter, which underestimates the absolute metabolite concentrations. 24,25 Based on the LCModel output, MR spectra with line width at full width at half maximum of Ͼ0.1 ppm (approximately 6 Hz) and/or SNR of Ͻ3 were excluded. Metabolite concentrations with a confidence level of the Cramer-Rao lower bounds 26 of Ͼ20% were also excluded from the subsequent analysis.…”

Based serum metabolomics analysis reveals simultaneous interconnecting changes during chicken embryonic development

“…It is now established that metabolites can be predetermined by adverse conditions before birth during early development and which play an important role in prevention of disease at adult. Several studies had reported the metabolites changes in fetuses and child (Tomiyasu et al, 2013) or rat embryos (Akimova et al, 2017). Sato, Tomonaga, Denbow, and Furuse (2009) reported the changes of amino acids during embryonic development in broiler chickens.…”