In vivo MR spectroscopy of human dementia.

Nuclear MR spectroscopy in low and medium magnetic fields yields well-resolved natural abundance proton and decoupled phosphorus spectra from small (1-10 mL) volumes of brain in vivo in minutes. With this tool, neurochemical research has advanced through identification and noninvasve assay of a specific neuronal-cf2Ncf1-acetylaspartate, glial (cf2myocf1-inositol)-markers, energetics and osmolutes, and neurotransmitters (glutamate, GABA). From these simple measurements, several dozen disease states are recognized, including birth injury, and white matter and Alzheimer disease. Together, these tools are having a major impact on neuroscience and clinical medicine.