Noninvasive Quantification of Human Brain Antioxidant Concentrations via Double Edited H MRS Throughout Intravenous Delivery of Vitamin C

Introduction Antioxidant defenses are involved in protecting against dementia and neurodegenerative disease. Vitamin C (ascorbate) and glutathione (GSH) are the two most concentrated chemical antioxidants in the human central nervous system [1]. While human brain region specific ascorbate concentration ([Asc]) changes have been measured post mortem as a function of age [2], studies in young rats suggest that brain Asc homeostasis is maintained [3] by transporters in the choroid plexus. A recent study used short TE STEAM at 3 T to report an increase in brain [Asc] induced by IV administration of Asc [4]. The goal of this project was to investigate temporal changes in brain Asc and GSH levels after IV administration of Asc using short TE STEAM and double editing with (DEW) MEGA-PRESS at 4 T.