Normal lactate concentration range in the neonatal brain

Abstract Objective Lactatepeaks are occasionally observed during in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy(MRS) scans of the neonatal brain, even in healthy patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the normal range of neonatal brain lactateconcentration, as a definitive normal range would be clinically valuable. Methods Using a clinical 3T scanner (echo/repetition times, 30/5000 ms), single-voxel MRS data were obtained from the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale(CS) in 48 healthy neonates (postconceptional age (PCA), 30–43 weeks), nine infants (age, 1–12 months old), and 20 children (age, 4–15 years). Lactateconcentrations were calculated using an MRS signal quantification program, LCModel. Correlations between regional lactateconcentration and PCA (neonates), or age (all subjects) were investigated. Results Absolute lactateconcentrations of the BG and CS were as follows: neonates, 0.77 mM (0–2.02) [median (range)] and 0.77 (0–1.42), respectively; infants, 0.38 (0–0.79) and 0.49 (0.17–1.17); and children, 0.17 (0–0.76) and 0.22 (0–0.80). Overall, subjects' lactateconcentrations decreased significantly with age ( Spearman : BG, n = 61, ρ = −0.38, p = 0.003; CS, n = 68, ρ = −0.57, p Conclusion We determined normal ranges of neonatal lactateconcentration, which may prove useful for diagnostic purposes. Further studies regarding changes in brain lactateconcentration during development would help clarify the reasons for higher concentrations observed during the neonatal period, and contribute to improvements in diagnoses.