Metabolic information from the human fetal brain obtained with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility of proton magnetic resonance spectrosco py for the examination of human fetal brain metabolism. STUDY DESIGN: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed from a s elected volume of brain tissue of 21 single normal fetuses of 36 to 41 week s' gestational age. Absolute brain metabolite tissue levels were estimated by using the brain water content as an internal reference. RESULTS: Proton magnetic resonance spectra showed resonances for four domin ating brain metabolites. Inositol, choline, creatine, and N-acetylaspartate could be detected with average tissue levels of 7.42 mmol/L, 3.31 mmol/L, 4.16 mmol/L, and 5.03 mmol/L, respectively. The resonance for N-acetylaspar tate could not always be resolved from contaminating lipid signals. CONCLUSION: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the human fetal brain is feasible and can provide useful information about the fetal condition. The metabolite tissue levels for the fetal brain obtained in this study wer e In the range observed for neonates of similar gestational age.