Table 9.1.

Compounds detected by proton MRS in the human brain

Compounds normally present	Compounds which may be detected under pathological or other abnormal conditions
Large signals at long TE	Long TE
N-Acetylaspartate (NAA)	Lactate (Lac)
Creatine (Cr) and phosphocreatine (PCr)	β-Hydroxy-butyrate, acetone
Cholines (Cho):	Succinate, pyruvate
Glycerophosphocholine (GPC)	Alanine
Phosphocholine (PC), free choline (Cho)	Glycine
Large signals at short TE	Short TE
Glutamate (Glu)	Lipids
Glutamine (Gln)	Macromolecules
myo-Inositol (mI)	Phenylalanine
	Galactitol
Small signals (short or long TE)	Exogenous compounds (short or long TE)
N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG),   aspartate	Propan-1,2-diol Mannitol
Taurine, betaine, scyllo-inositol,   ethanolamine	Ethanol Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)
Threonine
Glucose, glycogen
Purine nucleotides
Histidine
Small signals that can be detected with the use of spectral editing techniques
γ-Amino-butyric acid (GABA)
Homocarnosine
Glutathione
Threonine
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)