MR Spectroscopy Detection of Lactate and Lipid Signals in the Brains of Healthy Elderly People

Abstract: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used on a clinical 1.5 T MRI system to assess the presence of brain lactate and lipid signals, frequently associated with the presence of pathology, in healthy persons of 60–90 years old (n=540). Lactate and lipid signals were observed in, respectively, 25% and 6% of women and 18% and 2% of men. Upon adjustment for age, and for MRI detected cerebral atrophy and white matter lesions, the sex differences in lactate and lipid remained the same (P=0.05 and P=0.03, respectively). Brain lactate and lipid signals appear to be intrinsic to aging. However, the presence of the…