MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY IN FETAL ETHANOL-EXPOSED MACACA-NEMESTRINA

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton magnetic resonance spectro scopy (H-1-MRS) offer noninvasive ways to observe structural and bioch emical changes which might serve as valuable diagnostic markers for de tecting brain damage from prenatal ethanol teratogenesis. Cranial MR i maging and spectroscopy were performed on 20 nonhuman primates (Macaca nemestrina) with known prenatal ethanol exposures and well-documented cognitive and behavioral levels of performance. The choline:creatine ratio detected by H-1-MRS in the brain increased significantly with in creasing duration of in utero ethanol exposure. These signal alteratio ns occurred in the absence of gross structural brain anomalies (detect able by MRI) and were significantly correlated with alcohol-related co gnitive and behavioral dysfunction. These observations are consistent with reports of elevated choline:creatine ratios associated with vario us neurologic insults and disease states. The association observed bet ween brain choline:creatine ratios and in utero ethanol exposure sugge st a role for H-1-MRS in elucidating mechanisms of ethanol teratogenic ity.