The human brain: localized H-1 MR spectroscopy at 1.0 T.

Localized H-1 magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy of the human brain in vivo was performed at a field strength of 1.0 T. Investigations with the stimulated echo acquisition mode included studies in the right frontoparietal area, occipital lobe, cerebellum, and pons of healthy volunteers, as well as studies in two patients with astrocytomas. Prior to the acquisition of the H-1 MR spectra, all examinations included fast low angle shot MR imaging in three orientations to select the volumes of interest. The tumor spectra confirmed previous findings at higher field strengths by producing characteristic alterations from the spectra of normal brain tissue: markedly reduced resonances of N-acetyl-aspartate and creatine, increased signal intensities of cholines, and a strong resonance from lactate. The authors conclude that the results of this study clearly demonstrate the feasibility of H-1 MR spectroscopy at 1.0 T without significant losses in relative spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of major metabolites with singlet resonances, compared with previous studies at 1.5 and 2.0 T.