Magnetic resonance imaging
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Absolute concentrations of cerebral metabolite in in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies (1H-MRS) are widely reported in molar units as moles per liter of tissue, or in molal units as moles per kilogram of tissue. Such measurements require external referencing or assumptions as to local water content. To reduce the scan time, avoid assumptions that may be invalid under specific pathologies, and provide a universally accessible referencing procedure, we suggest that metabolite concentrations from 1H-MRS measurements in vivo be reported in molal units as moles per kilogram of tissue water. ⋯ All gray matter Sylvian fissure CV values, except for NAA, were also in agreement with previous 1H-MRS gray matter studies. The reduced precision of the NAA concentration was attributed to overlapping signal contributions from glutamate and glutamine (Glx), suggesting that a detailed Glx model is critical for accurate quantitation of the NAA 2.02 ppm resonance. The reduced precision of the measurements in the hippocampal region was attributed to poor spectral resolution.