EVALUATION OF CARDIAC P-31 MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY - REVIEWING NMR PRINCIPLES

P-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been used for several d ecades as an analytical tool in cardiac research and is quickly emergi ng as a diagnostic tool, due to its ability to continuously and noninv asively monitor levels of high energy phosphates, inorganic phosphate, and intracellular pH in localized regions of the myocardium. This art icle provides a brief review of basic MRS principles, presents some cu rrent techniques of localized spectroscopy related to experimental and clinical cardiac research, and discusses their advantages and disadva ntages. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.