CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY

Neurospectroscopy measures a neuronal marker, energy and redox state, specific fuels of tissue respiration, maturation, and possibly myelina tion. It provides diagnostic patterns of altered neurochemistry. Curre nt clinical uses range from intensive care in neonates to dementia in the elderly and include tumor and stroke management, prognosis in hemo rrhage and trauma, white matter, inflammatory diseases, and AIDS. Inbo rn errors, metabolic and systemic diseases, subclinical hepatic enceph alopathy, hyponatremia, and ''coma'' have been elucidated. Automation, single-voxel MRS, chemical shift imaging, quality control, and outcom e analyses are discussed. With no remaining impediments to clinical us e, neurospectroscopy has changed the way we look at diseases of the br ain.