MR SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING AND DIFFUSION-WEIGHTED MRI FOR EARLY DETECTION OF KAINATE-INDUCED STATUS EPILEPTICUS IN THE RAT

Previous studies have shown that reduction of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) is correlated with the degree of neuronal loss at 3 days after kainat e-induced status epilepticus in the rat. In this study, magnetic reson ance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), measurement of NAA and lactate, T-2 -weighted MRI, and diffusion-weighted MRI were used to study early alt erations in rat piriform cortex at 12 and 26 h after kainate administr ation. The major findings are that decreased NAA signal, increased lac tate signal, and decreased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were o bserved at 12 h, with little evidence of histological and T-2-weighted MRI changes. These results support the hypothesis that NAA, lactate s ignals, and ADC provide sensitive methods for detection of early and m inimal brain damage in vivo.