[Contribution of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in predicting severity and outcome in traumatic brain injury]

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (MRS) is a useful method for noninvasively studying intracerebral metabolism. Proton MRS can identify markers of the neuronal viability (N-acetyl-aspartate, NAA), of the metabolism of cellular membranes (choline), of the cellular energy metabolism (creatine, lactate). In Phosphorus MRS, the peaks most readily identified are involved in the high-energy cellular metabolism (ATP, phosphocreatine, inorganic phosphate), and intracellular pH (pHi) can be determined using this method. MRS has been used in experimental models of traumatic brain injury (TBI), primarily to study the cellular metabolism and the relation between biochemical and histological changes after trauma. In trauma patients, significant changes in NAA, choline and pHi were found in both grey and white matter comparing with controls, and these alterations correlated with injury severity. Correlations have been reported between these biochemical changes (reduction in NAA, increase in choline) measured at 1 to 6 months after TBI and the clinical outcome of the patients. However, there are methodological issues which still impede to recommend MRS as a tool for predicting neurological outcome in the clinical setting.