Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Imaging of the Newborn Brain—A Technical Review

Magnetic resonance imaging has been widely used noninvasively for pediatric neuroimaging for more than a decade. More recently, with advances in computing, functional techniques for imaging water diffusion, cellular metabolite levels, and blood flow are becoming available. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MRSI) offers a snapshot of the metabolic status in the tissue of interest. It is complementary to the more traditionally used anatomic imaging for diagnoses of various abnormalities. This review describes the physical basis of proton MRSI, summarizes currently available techniques and their applications, highlights challenges of performing MRSI in the pediatric population, and previews the newest techniques currently on the horizon.