Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), providing high resolution anatomical images, is the most widely know application of magnetic resonance scanners. However, magnetic resonance also offers great opportunities for characterization of tissue metabolism, using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). In the past decade great advances in MRS technology have been made, especially in the development of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H MRS) protocols, some of which already have become part of clinical practise.

Objective: 

In this lecture an overview is given of current possibilities for non-invasive fat content quantification of the myocardium, skeletal muscle and liver by 1H MRS. In addition, the development en current status of hyperpolarized contrast agents and also of combined Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging (MR-PET) will be discussed. These (near) future techniques potentially offer a wide range of new MRI and MRS applications.

Conclusions: 

Several Magnetic Resonance based methods are currently available for the study of tissue metabolism. The rapid ongoing development of future MR applications has the potential to open a whole new field of non-invasive and real-time metabolic imaging of human physiology.