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Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Environmental Toxicant Exposure
Author(s) -
WEISSKOPF MARC G.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1379.028
Subject(s) - toxicant , creatine , magnetic resonance imaging , hippocampal formation , neuropsychology , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , frontal lobe , medicine , toxicity , cognition , psychology , neuroscience , nuclear magnetic resonance , physics , radiology
The study of neurological impacts of toxicants has emphasized neuropsychological tests as important outcome variables. Direct assessment of neural substrates of environmental impacts could offer many advantages. I discuss our use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in the neurological assessment of adult lead poisoning of monozygotic twins as an example. Cognitive testing showed frontal lobe dysfunction in both twins, and more dramatic hippocampal dysfunction in the twin with higher lead exposure (JG). MRS showed lower N‐acetylaspartate/creatine ratios in JG. The findings illustrate the potential utility of MRS in assessing impacts of not only lead, but other toxicants as well.