[Advance of magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) techniques]

Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) can provide density images of various metabolites in the human body, in vivo, by utilizing chemical shift. This technique has received attention as a new method for analyzing the diseased state, via metabolism. It increases the accuracy of diagnosis and provides hope for early diagnosis of brain disease. However, because a measurement time of more than ten minutes to one hour is required for imaging, it has been difficult to use MRSI techniques for clinical diagnosis. Improved techniques for high-speed imaging have recently been developed. This review describes the recent advances in this field.