PRESS Difference Spectroscopy Optimization Applied to GABA and Tau at 3 T

Jeff Snyder¹, Thomas Lange¹, Jrgen Hennig¹, Maxim Zaitsev¹

A method to detect coupled spins is presented based on PRESS difference spectroscopy with variable refocusing flip angles at 3 T. The technique is optimized by numerical simulations of sixteen metabolite signals at multiple echo times and flip angles, with the end result of reduction of overlap with adjacent signals for the target metabolite while maintaining adequate yield. The procedure is demonstrated for gamma-aminobutyric acid and taurine.