Non-invasive measurement of neurotransmitter-specific glucose metabolism in the human brain using proton-observed proton-edited 13C-MRS (POPE13C-MRS)

Abstract

Non-invasive measurement of neurotransmitter-specific glucose metabolism in the human brain remains a major challenge, limiting mechanistic insight into excitatory-inhibitory imbalance across neurological and psychiatric disorders. Existing approaches either lack neurotransmitter specificity or require specialised hardware that constrains clinical applicability. Here, we introduce proton-observed proton-edited 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (POPE13C-MRS), an approach that enables non-invasive detection of glutamate, GABA, and lactate metabolism using standard proton MRI hardware. The method combines administration of 13C-labelled glucose with targeted proton editing to detect 1H-13C satellite resonances. Using a cross-species proof-of-concept approach, we demonstrate consistent detection of neurotransmitter-specific 13C labelling in mice and feasibility in the human brain at ultra-high field. POPE13C-MRS provides a readout of glutamatergic and GABAergic metabolism, enabling in vivo assessment of excitatory-inhibitory metabolic balance. This establishes a means for probing neurometabolic coupling with potential applications in translational and clinical neuroscience.