Quantitative combined phosphorus and proton PRESS of the brains of newborn human infants.

Techniques for quantitative, combined phosphorus and proton, point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) studies of newborn-infant brain have been developed. Phosphorus PRESS advantages include: voxel-shimming; rapid transmitter-pulse setting; novel use of brain-water as a localized quantitation reference; and reduced broad components. Proton spectra from 1-ml voxels and phosphorus spectra can both be acquired quantitatively within acceptable time. Cerebral lactate was consistently detected by proton PRESS and the normal concentration (approximately 3 mmol/kg wet weight) may be higher than in adult brain. Phosphorus PRESS provided metabolite peak-area ratios and concentrations comparable with those obtained using ISIS.