Three-dimensional multivoxel spectroscopy of the healthy hippocampus—are the metabolic differences related to the location?

Aim The aim of this study was to determine the bilateral distribution of proton metabolites along the long axis of the hippocampus. Materials and methods Forty-one healthy volunteers were examined using a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging system, using proton three-dimensional spectroscopic imaging (3D CSI) of the left and the right hippocampus separately. Three dominant signals were measured: choline (Cho), total creatine (tCr), and n-acetylaspartate (NAA) and expressed as ratios of Cho:tCr, NAA:tCr, NAA:Cho and NAA:(Cho+tCr). We compared the data from three hippocampal regions: head, body and tail. Results Lower NAA:tCr ratios were found in head compared with the body ( p