Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 338-340). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 338-340). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Textile and Fiber Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004. Directed Haskell W. Beckham. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. William G. Moulton, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Physics. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 15, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Chemistry. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 279-288). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR39054

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 233-234).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1989.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) was used to study the relationship between brain regional concentrations of metabolites and normal aging in Chinese. Our goal in this study is to create a database of normal aging and hence enhance further understanding on the degenerative process leading to dementia and related neurodegenerative diseases. Thirty cognitively normal healthy volunteers of age 22-82 years were recruited and the bias on gender effect in data sampling was minimized by recruiting 15 females and 15 males. In the first part of the study, 1H MRS was obtained using single-voxel-spectroscopy (SVS). Offline software java-based version of Magnetic Resonance User Interface (jMRUI) was employed for data analysis. Cerebrospinal fluid was normalized using software voxel based morphormetry (VBM). Brain morphometry data was also analyzed. Brain metabolites choline (Cho), creatine (Cr) and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) were quantified using internal water as reference. It was found that brain metabolite concentrations of Cr, Cho and NAA increase significantly with age. Gender effect on metabolite concentrations were also discovered, being higher in the female group. For brain morphometry, white matter and grey matter volumes and fractions all reveal a siginificant negative correlation with age, whereas CSF volume and fraction show a significant positive correlation with age. Gender effect was found on grey matter, white matter and intracranial volume, being higher in the male group. In the second part of the study, 31P SVS MRS was performed on the same population of volunteers. jMRUI was also employed for data analysis. Metabolic ratios were obtained. Similar to the 1H MRS study, apart from creating a database in studying normal aging, an additional aim of this 31P MRS study is to correlate with 1H MRS and assist in interpreting the corresponding metabolic activity. Brain metabolite concentrations were found to increase significantly with age. The increase of PCr (phosphocreatine)/Ptot (total phosphorus content) in posterior cingulate suggests lower metabolic activity throughout the course of aging. The strong evidence of PDE (phosphodiester) increase with age in left hippocampus proposes the fact that phospholipid membrane breakdown will be enhanced by aging. In conclusion, MRS can act as a non-invasive tool to study aging at molecular level. Metabolite levels are significant means to investigate the metabolic change in the human brain during the process of aging as the variations in metabolite levels are believed to be footprints of biochemical changes. / published_or_final_version / Diagnostic Radiology / Master / Master of Philosophy