{
  "abstract": "Short-echo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) offers valuable insights into endogenous brain metabolites, commonly referred to as the neurochemical profile, enabling identification of critical biomarkers for neurological health and disease. However, the reliable extraction of these quantitative neurochemical profiles at high magnetic fields is significantly challenged by the presence of the underlying macromolecular (MM) background signal. As field strength increases to 5 T, the MM components appear with greater resolution and complexity. Although the effects of MM signals on neurochemical profiling at 3 and 7 T are well documented, their corresponding performance related to neurochemical profiling at 5 T remains uncharacterized. Compared to 3- and 7-T platforms, 5-T platforms theoretically offer a unique balance between signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and field homogeneity. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of 5-T short-echo proton magnetic resonance (1H MR) spectra and to compare the effects between incorporating in vivo MMs and simulated MMs on neurochemical profiling. Short-echo 1H MR spectra [echo time (TE) =10 ms] were acquired on healthy volunteers at 5-T with a standard stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) sequence. An in vivo MM baseline was first measured via an optimized inversion recovery STEAM (IR-STEAM) sequence [inversion time (TI) =750 ms] and postprocessed to remove residual metabolite signals. Spectral fitting was performed with a linear combination model (LCModel) under two strategies: (I) the experimentally derived in vivo MM baseline and (II) default simulated Voigt functions. Quantification reliability was assessed according to Cramér-Rao lower bounds (CRLBs) and intermethod concentration differences. The 5-T platform yielded high-quality MM spectra for the in vivo MM baseline, along with spectra with a mean SNR of ~110 and a metabolic linewidth of ~6 Hz for the quantification of the neurochemical profile. Both MM approaches successfully resolved 16 metabolites. Although the default simulated MM functions in the LCModel provided acceptable approximations for high-abundance metabolites [e.g., glutamate (Glu), N-acetylaspartate (NAA), and total creatine (tCr)]-12 neurochemicals with a mean ≤20%-they failed to replicate subtle spectral features at 2.5, 3.2, and 3.5-3.9 ppm. The in vivo MM approach significantly improved the quantification of low-concentration metabolites [e.g., glutamine (Gln), taurine (Tau), ascorbate (Asc), and scyllo-inositol (Scyllo)] and enhanced fitting residual performance. Through use of the in vivo MM baseline, 14 neurochemicals were reliably quantified, with a mean CRLB ≤20%. This study validated the 5-T platform as a high-performance environment for neurochemical profiling, offering an optimal intermediate between 3 and 7 T. Although simulated MM models are sufficient for major metabolites, a refined in vivo MM baseline is necessary for comprehensive and accurate quantification of the neurochemical profile. This framework provides a robust methodological foundation for future clinical research into metabolic alterations in brain disorders at 5 T.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "MR Application Development Department, Shanghai United-Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China.",
    "Shanghai United-Imaging Healthcare Advanced Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Linfei Wen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Bin Deng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Aiguo Xue"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Hongxia Lei"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4vqanbjf01nm1.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.21037/qims-2025-1-2810",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13743301",
  "id": "4vqanbjf01nm1",
  "issns": [
    "2223-4292",
    "2223-4306"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997954",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2741|Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223237238",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13743301?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13743301",
  "pmid": "42997954",
  "published": "2026-09-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4vqanbjf01nm1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T15:20:41Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42997954",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997954"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2741|Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications",
      "subfield": "imaging"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Quantification of in vivo short-echo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the human brain on a clinical whole-body 5-T platform under two different macromolecule modeling approaches.",
  "title_text": "Quantification of in vivo short-echo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the human brain on a clinical whole-body 5-T platform under two different macromolecule modeling approaches.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T15:20:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4vqanbjf01nm1",
  "venue": "Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery",
  "versions": []
}