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.