Brain Maturation-Differences in Biochemical Composition of Fetal and Child's Brain.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in H-1 MRS spectra of the brain of fetuses and children from 6 to 11years of age. Material and methods: 21 healthy fetuses in the third trimester and 22 children were examined using the proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The relative metabolite concentrations to the sum of all metabolites were calculated. Results: In the H-1 MRS spectra of the brain from fetuses and children, there are the same characteristic peaks: N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and myo-inositol (mI). NAA/sigma, NAA/Cr, and Cr/sigma concentrations are significantly higher and Cho/sigma, Cho/Cr, mI/sigma, and mI/Cr are significantly lower in children than in the fetuses. Conclusions: It was found that the brain metabolism changes from fetal life to childhood. The results of this study may provide a valuable basis for further research on brain maturation and healthy aging.