Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of the brain

In the present review we will give an introductory section about the basic physics behind NMR followed by descriptions of the type of biochemical, physiological and pathological information that can be derived from NMR spectroscopy of the brain. We have chosen a number of examples of central neurobiological interest which will be discussed in detail. The emphasis in these applications of NMR spectroscopy is towards studies where naturally abundant nuclei have been used, but we also touch on brain studies using exogenously administered super(13)C, super(17)O and super(19)F. We will also describe the contribution of NMR spectroscopy to studies on the pathophysiology of human neurological disorders such as stroke, metabolic encephalopathies and epilepsy. We wish to stress that the list of applications discussed here is not complete and we advise readers to consult previously published reviews of brain NMR spectroscopy.