Human brain MR spectroscopy thermometry using metabolite aqueous-solution calibrations.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics

Background:

• Accurate measurement of brain temperature is crucial for understanding neurological conditions.
• Non-invasive methods for estimating brain temperature are highly sought after in clinical research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine absolute brain temperature in healthy humans using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS).
• To quantify the mean difference between brain and body (rectal) temperature in a healthy cohort.

Main Methods:

• Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) was employed to measure absolute brain temperature.
• The method utilized the chemical shift difference between temperature-dependent water and temperature-stable metabolite spectral lines.
• Temperature calibration constants were derived from N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), glycero-phosphocholine (GPC), and creatine (Cr) solutions.

Main Results:

• The mean brain temperature in 18 healthy volunteers was measured at 38.1 ± 0.4°C.
• The average difference between brain and body (rectal) temperature was found to be 1.3 ± 0.4°C.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced accuracy in temperature constants and averaging spectral data improved the reliability of brain temperature estimations.
• This non-invasive (1)H-MRS technique offers a dependable method for assessing brain temperature.