BACKGROUND: While magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a technique used in research related to substance use, MRS may be less familiar to practitioners. METHOD: This is a clinical translation of a systematic review by Hellem and Shi (this issue of JAPNA). The article provides an overview of the MRS technique and neurometabolites that are commonly studied with MRS in the human brain. The methods and results are presented for the systemic review of MRS studies among adults and focus on alcohol, methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine, opiates/opioids, marijuana, and nicotine. RESULTS: Thirty-six studies were included in the review of literature. Substance-specific studies indicated inconsistencies with respect to alterations in brain chemistry. A consistent finding across substances (alcohol, methamphetamine, and nicotine) was the decrease of two metabolites (N-acetylaspartate and choline). CONCULSION: MRS offers the possibility of identifying brain biomarkers for disease and evaluating treatment response. Needed are studies employing standardized protocols for data acquisition and reporting.
