Metabolic maturation of the human brain from birth through adolescence: insights from in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Between birth and late adolescence, the human brain undergoes exponential maturational changes. Using in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we determined the developmental profile for 6 metabolites in 5 distinct brain regions based on spectra from 309 children from 0 to 18 years of age. The concentrations of N-acetyl-aspartate (an indicator for adult-type neurons and axons), creatine (energy metabolite), and glutamate (excitatory neurotransmitter) increased rapidly between birth and 3 months, a period of rapid axonal growth and synapse formation. Myo-inositol, implicated in cell signaling and a precursor of membrane phospholipid, as well as an osmolyte and astrocyte marker, declined rapidly during this period. Choline, a membrane metabolite and indicator for de novo myelin and cell membrane synthesis, peaked from birth until approximately 3 months, and then declined gradually, reaching a plateau at early childhood. Similarly, taurine, involved in neuronal excitability, synaptic potentiation, and osmoregulation, was high until approximately 3 months and thereafter declined. These data indicate that the first 3 months of postnatal life are a critical period of rapid metabolic changes in the development of the human brain. This study of the developmental profiles of the major brain metabolites provides essential baseline information for future analyses of the pediatric health and disease.
['Blüml|Stefan|S|', 'Wisnowski|Jessica L|JL|', 'Nelson|Marvin D|MD|', 'Paquette|Lisa|L|', 'Gilles|Floyd H|FH|', 'Kinney|Hannah C|HC|', 'Panigrahy|Ashok|A|']
D000293:Adolescent D001224:Aspartic Acid D001921:Brain D001923:Brain Chemistry D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D002794:Choline D003401:Creatine D005260:Female D018698:Glutamic Acid D006801:Humans D007223:Infant D007231:Infant, Newborn D007294:Inositol D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy D008297:Male D013654:Taurine
metabolism magnetic resonance spectroscopy myelination human brain maturation