PROTON SPECTROSCOPY OF THE NEONATAL BRAIN FOLLOWING HYPOXIC-ISCHEMIC INJURY

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to examine, within the first month of life, the brains of 11 infants born at term-10 with si gns of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) and one who was neurolog ically normal at birth. All the infants had peak resonances on their s pectra which could be assigned to N-acetylaspartase (NAA), choline-con taining compounds (Cho) and creatine plus phosphocreatine (Cr). When n eurodevelopmental outcome at one year was correlated with initial spec troscopy findings, the NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr ratios reflected clinical ou tcome. This study suggests that proton spectroscopy not only provides new information about biochemical changes occurring in the brains of i nfants with HIE, but also may help to predict outcome within the first month of life.