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British Medical Bulletin 52:474-485 (1996)
© 1996 The British Council

research-article

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in psychiatry: basic principles and applications

Sophia Frangou*, and Steven C R Williams{dagger}

*Deparment of Psychological Medicine, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry and the Institute of Psychiatry London, UK
{dagger}Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry London, UK

Dr Sophia Frangou, Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry and the Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.

Abstract

In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a safe and non-invasive tool which can be used to study aspects of brain chemistry and metabolism. Although a relatively recent technique in the field of psychiatric research, it has already been used in the study of anxiety and affective disorders, dementia, schizophrenia, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

This review outlines the basic principles of MRS and summarises the research findings in psychiatric disorders. Although mostly preliminary, these findings highligh the capacity of MRS to detect subtle neurobiological abnormalities in mental disorders. They also suggest a future role for MRS in differential diagnosis and monitoring illness progression. Initial MRS studies have also focused on the metabolic effects of psychiatric treatments and could provide information about their relationship to clinical variables.


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