High spatial resolution in vivo 2D 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of human muscles with a band-selective technique

This report demonstrates a 2D 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) technique that can address some technical difficulties often encountered in MRS studies of human muscles. A preliminary application of this whole-slice technique in human skeletal muscles demonstrates clearly noticeable differences in 1H metabolite spectra between different human muscles. This observation illustrates the importance of multi-voxel and high spatial resolution in a heterogeneous environment. This technique is robust, can be easily implemented on a commercial MR scanner, and should prove useful for investigators in both basic and clinical 1H MRS studies.