Abstract
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MRSI) enables noninvasive analysis of the chemical composition of matter, and when combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, it provides a readily available method for noninvasive mapping of low-molecular weight metabolites in living systems. Although single-voxel MRS measurements will continue to play a role for many biomedical applications, it is the spectroscopic imaging methods that provide the extended spatial information required for mapping of metabolite distributions. MRSI provides a unique neuroimaging method for evaluation of brain metabolites that can be readily implemented on widely available clinical MRI instruments. These studies can be conveniently integrated with MRI examination providing complementary information that is of interest for many clinical diagnostic applications and biomedical research applications. Although detection sensitivity limits observation to a few of the most abundant metabolites, these compounds have been demonstrated to provide valuable information on oxidative, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. Major clinical application areas include detection of malignancy and neurodegenerative diseases, but also include areas as diverse as psychiatric diseases and encephalopathies.