STUDY OF THE MATURATION OF THE CHILDS BRAIN USING P-31-MRS

The maturation of human cerebrum and cerebellum in 37 normal children aged 4 months to 13 years 8 months was evaluated by P-31-magnetic reso nance spectroscopy using two different conditions of repetition time ( TR) (TR = 3 seconds and 15 seconds) in each region. The results were a s follows. First, the PME/PDE, PCr/gamma-ATP and Pi/PCr ratios differe d between the cerebrum and the cerebellum. The PME/PDE and PCr/gamma-A TP ratios were greater in the cerebellum than in the cerebrum. However , the Pi/PCr ratio was smaller in the cerebellum than in the cerebrum. At TR = 3 seconds, the ratio of (PME/PDE ratio in the cerebellum)/(PM E/PDE ratio in the cerebrum) and the ratio of (PCr/gamma-ATP ratio in the cerebellum)/(PCr/gamma-ATP ratio in the cerebrum) manifested a nea rly constant value independent of age. Second, the phosphomonoester pe ak in the cerebrum contained a substance with a longer relaxation time than 3 seconds; this substance was present in large amounts in the ea rly period, then gradually decreased during maturation. (C) 1998 by El sevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.