Fig 3.

In contrast to controls,³⁰ spectra (A) measured in different pathologies (B–E)^33,37 in the spinal cord show a distinct change in the metabolite fingerprint, with high correlation to connatural MR spectroscopy acquisitions in the brain. Spectra measured in the normal-appearing spinal cord of patients with MS³³ show an increase of myo-inositol/Cr and Cho/Cr and a decrease in NAA/Cr. The extradural tumor (schwannoma) shown in D does not contain any metabolite observable in healthy neural tissue.³³ In contrast, the biopsy-confirmed ependymoma exhibited strongly reduced NAA/Cr, increased Cho/Cr, and strongly increased myo-inositol/Cr, in addition to increased lipid and lactate, compared to controls.³³ The spectra measured in a patient after a traumatic injury³⁷ also show a reduction in the NAA/Cr.