Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in brain

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy is a term in general, if imprecise, used in the biomedical world to designate NMR observation of any nuclei except the water proton which is the basis of MRI. NMR Spectroscopy is a very useful tool for in-vitro or in-vivo examinations of tissues during intermediary metabolism. MRS is found to be most suitable to diagnose the disease in early stage (viz. Tumours, Strokes, Epilepsy, Alzheimer disease, AIDS, Multiple sclerosis, etc.). Proton 1-H spectroscopic method in brain has been utilised to study the lesions in brain. In MRS, the MR signal is measured as a function of time; a quickly decaying radio frequency oscillation. The Fourier transformation is employed to the signal from time domain to frequency domain, which corresponds to MR spectrum. In the spectrum, same nuclei hydrogen attached to different atoms, show different localised peaks. This fact allows distinguishing between groups of atoms of molecules, which possess the same atom under observation