Evaluation of efficacy of an automated single-voxel proton MRS algorithm on a 3T system.

PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy of a fully automatic, single-voxel, proton MR spectroscopy algorithm on a 3.0T MR system. METHODS The PROBE/SVQ algorithm (GE Medical Systems) was evaluated on a General Electric (GE) Signa LX-3T system. Ten normal volunteers (female, 21.1+/-2.0 years old) participated in the study. Nine representative regions of interest were examined, namely, right and left frontal white matter; right and left parietal white matter; right and left basal ganglia; right and left dentate nucleus; and pons. RESULTS The mean coefficients of variation in all regions for the N-acetyl-aspartate to creatine ratio (NAA/Cr), choline to creatine ratio (Cho/Cr), and choline to N-acetyl-aspartate ratio (Cho/NAA) were 10.2+/-2.4%, 11.4+/-3.2% and 12.6+/-1.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION A fully automated spectroscopic examination under clinical setting utilizing the PROBE/SVQ algorithm appears to be a reliable method, extending the window of routine clinical assessment of brain metabolism.