Magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies of regional cerebral and hepatic energy metabolism in the newborn
Magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies of regional cerebral and hepatic energy metabolism in the newborn
Birth asphyxia is the commonest cause of perinatally-acquired neurodevelopmental abnormality in infants discharged from neonatal intensive care units. Each year in Great Britain 300-400 full term infants survive birth asphyxia with serious brain damage, yet little is known about the actual process by which irreversible brain damage occurs. Phosphorus Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) was used to study cerebral energy metabolism in 16 normal infants and 42 infants with a primary diagnosis of birth asphyxia. A method of spatial localisation of spectroscopic data called Phase Modulated Rotating Frame Imaging (PMRFI) was used to study regional metabolism within the brain. Results have shown that the derangement of energy metabolism increases with the severity of the asphyxial insult, as judged by conventional clinical criteria. Spatial localisation has shown that the impairment of energy metabolism increases with depth into the brain of severely asphyxiated infants, with greater changes at 1.5 and 2.5cm below the brain surface than superficially at 0.5cm. This is consistent with ultrasound and postmortem studies suggesting that the subcortical white matter is the area particularly vulnerable to damage in the full term infant. The prognostic potential of MRS for the prediction of outcome after birth asphyxia was explored. Important prognostic information could be obtained early in the course of the post-asphyxial illness. The accuracy of prediction of energy metabolite ratios has been tested. Spatial localisation has allowed the study of the liver without contamination of the signal from overlying tissues. Hepatic MRS was performed on 14 infants and comparisons made with adult published data both for liver and brain spectra. The phosphomonoester and phosphodiester peaks of the MRS spectrum allow some insight into membrane synthesis and cellular turnover.
University of Southampton
1991
Moorcraft, James
(1991)
Magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies of regional cerebral and hepatic energy metabolism in the newborn.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
Birth asphyxia is the commonest cause of perinatally-acquired neurodevelopmental abnormality in infants discharged from neonatal intensive care units. Each year in Great Britain 300-400 full term infants survive birth asphyxia with serious brain damage, yet little is known about the actual process by which irreversible brain damage occurs. Phosphorus Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) was used to study cerebral energy metabolism in 16 normal infants and 42 infants with a primary diagnosis of birth asphyxia. A method of spatial localisation of spectroscopic data called Phase Modulated Rotating Frame Imaging (PMRFI) was used to study regional metabolism within the brain. Results have shown that the derangement of energy metabolism increases with the severity of the asphyxial insult, as judged by conventional clinical criteria. Spatial localisation has shown that the impairment of energy metabolism increases with depth into the brain of severely asphyxiated infants, with greater changes at 1.5 and 2.5cm below the brain surface than superficially at 0.5cm. This is consistent with ultrasound and postmortem studies suggesting that the subcortical white matter is the area particularly vulnerable to damage in the full term infant. The prognostic potential of MRS for the prediction of outcome after birth asphyxia was explored. Important prognostic information could be obtained early in the course of the post-asphyxial illness. The accuracy of prediction of energy metabolite ratios has been tested. Spatial localisation has allowed the study of the liver without contamination of the signal from overlying tissues. Hepatic MRS was performed on 14 infants and comparisons made with adult published data both for liver and brain spectra. The phosphomonoester and phosphodiester peaks of the MRS spectrum allow some insight into membrane synthesis and cellular turnover.
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Published date: 1991
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Local EPrints ID: 460573
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/460573
PURE UUID: c13d3b39-c86f-4ee7-b117-ed89a54d9b01
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 18:24
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 18:24
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Author:
James Moorcraft
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