Abstract
In recent years, advancements in imaging technology and research about glia cells have heightened interest in astrocyte dysfunction and brain energy metabolism abnormalities as one of the common pathogenic mechanisms in both psychiatric and neurological disorders. It is well‐known that individuals with early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and psychiatric disorders exhibit a decreased uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) on positron emission tomography (PET) scans in non‐atrophied brain regions. The underlying mechanism for this FDG uptake reduction remains challenging to explain solely by neurodegeneration and suggests a potential link to disturbances in cellular energy metabolism. To gain further insights into the pathophysiology, energy metabolism assessment is valuable. However, FDG‐PET is not well‐suited for metabolic evaluation, leaving detailed pathogenic mechanisms unclear. This paper discusses the potential of hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) using 13C isotopes as a novel method for evaluating brain energy metabolism abnormalities. Hyperpolarized MRS may pave the way as a valuable tool in the development of therapeutic interventions for refractory brain disorders.
No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.
