Abstract #0252

McIntyre D, Markus H, Charlton R, Howe F

Long and short echo proton spectroscopic imaging were used to investigate white matter metabolite ratios and R2 relaxation rates in 90 volunteers aged 50-90. Midline lipid was detected in some subjects, the incidence increasing significantly with age. The R2 of NAA and the NAA/creatine ratio at both echo times significantly correlated with age. The choline/creatine ratio fell just short of significance. The results are consistent with creatine increasing with age. Correlations were similar at both echo times, with lower p values at short echo. As short echo also detects more metabolites, we recommend its use for future ageing studies.