A transient magnetic resonance spectroscopy peri-ischemic peak: a possible radiological biomarker of post-stroke neurogenesis

Background and Aims In adult human brain, neurogenesis seems to persist throughout life and ischemic stroke was proved to stimulate this process. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), a 1.28-ppm peak, putative biomarker of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), was identified both in vitro and in vivo, i.e., in normal rat and healthy human brain . The aim of our study was to identify a 1.28-ppm peak in adult human ischemic brain by using 3.0 T multivoxel MRS. Methods We studied 10 patients, six males, and four females, with a mean (± SD) age of 59.3 (± 17.3), at three different time points from ischemic stroke onset (T0: < 5 days; T14: 14 ± 2 days; T30: 30 ± 2 days). Results In all patients except one, a 1.28-ppm peak at T14 was detected at the ischemic boundary (all p values < 0.05). MRS performed on six voluntary age-matched healthy subjects did not detect any 1.28-ppm peak. Conclusions The nature of this 1.28-pm peak is uncertain; however, our data support the hypothesis that it might represent a marker of NPCs in post-stroke human brain.