In vivo differentiation of N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate from N-acetyl aspartate at 3 Tesla

A method is described that allows the in vivo differentiation of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) from N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate (NAAG) by in vivo MR spectroscopy (MRS) at 3 Tesla (3T). The method, which is based on MEGA-point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) editing, selectively targets the aspartyl spin system of one species while deliberately removing the other species from the spectrum. This allows quantitative measurements of NAA and NAAG without the need for fitting of unresolved peaks. White matter concentrations of NAA (6.7 +/- 0.3 mM) and NAAG (2.2 +/- 0.3 mM) were measured in 10 healthy volunteers to demonstrate the method.