Brief Report: Approaches to ³¹P-MRS in Awake, Non-Sedated Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

We piloted a suite of approaches aimed to facilitate a successful series of up to four brain and muscle ³¹Phosphorus-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (³¹P-MRS) scans performed in one session in 12 awake, non-sedated subjects (ages 6–18), 6 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 6 controls. We targeted advanced preparation, parental input, physical comfort, short scan protocols, allocation of extra time, and subject emotional support. 100% of subjects completed at least one brain scan and one leg muscle scan: 42 of 46 attempted scans were completed (91%), with failures dominated by exercise muscle scans (completed in 6/6 controls but 3/6 cases). One completed scan lacked usable data unrelated to subject/scan procedure (orthodonture affected a frontal brain scan). As a group, these methods provide a foundation for conduct and enhancement of future MR studies in pediatric subjects with ASD.