Toward quantitative CEST imaging of glutamate in the mouse brain using a multi-pool exchange model calibrated by ¹H-MRS.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To develop a CEST quantification model to map glutamate concentration in the mouse brain at 11.7 T, overcoming the limitations of conventional glutamate-weighted CEST (gluCEST) contrast (magnetization transfer ratio with asymmetric analysis).

Methods

¹H-MRS was used as a gold standard for glutamate quantification to calibrate a CEST-based quantitative pipeline. Joint localized measurements of Z-spectra at B₁ = 5 μT and quantitative ¹H-MRS were carried out in two voxels of interest in the mouse brain. A six-pool Bloch-McConnell model was found appropriate to fit experimental data. Glutamate exchange rate was estimated in both regions with this dedicated multi-pool fitting model and using glutamate concentration determined by ¹

SUBMITTER: Maguin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11680732 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature