Comparison of two magnetic resonance imaging spectroscopy postprocessing methods.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Magnetic Resonance (MR) spectroscopy is crucial for analyzing brain metabolites.
• Comparing data processed by different software is essential for accurate interpretation.
• Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) impacts brain chemistry, necessitating reliable measurement techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the quantitative results of MR spectroscopy data processed by SpectroView (SV) and J-Magnetic Resonance User Interface (jMRUI).
• To assess the agreement between these two widely used software packages for analyzing hydrogen MR spectroscopy data.

Main Methods:

• MR spectroscopy data were acquired from 23 males with AUD and 23 healthy controls using a 1.5 Tesla MR scanner.
• N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and choline (Cho) to creatine (Cr) ratios were calculated using SV (automatic) and jMRUI (semiautomatic).
• Agreement was assessed using 95% limits of agreement (LoA) for the metabolite ratios.

Main Results:

• jMRUI exhibited a greater standard deviation in metabolite ratios compared to SV.
• While correlated, the variance between SV and jMRUI results could not be predicted.
• The 95% LoA indicated substantial variability, with jMRUI values differing significantly from SV values.

Conclusions:

• The discrepancies between SV and jMRUI can be clinically significant.
• Consistent use of a single processing method is advised for comparing spectroscopic data.
• The automatic SpectroView method is recommended for routine clinical practice due to its consistency.