Fundamentals of in situ postmortem magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain in the forensic framework - a review and outlook

Abstract

• Postmortem magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a promising technique for the determination of the postmortem interval. • Postmortem magnetic resonance spectroscopy is feasible for the detection and quantification of ethanol. • Postmortem magnetic resonance spectroscopy is feasible for the detection and quantification of glucose and ketone bodies. • The simultaneous quantification of more than 25 metabolites enables machine learning techniques in postmortem metabolomics, for example in the classification of the cause of death. This review contextualizes the collective research on in situ proton postmortem magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain and derives the basic approaches for its application in forensic pathology. The basic concepts of magnetic resonance spectroscopy are outlined for a target audience in forensic pathology. A major application of postmortem in situ magnetic resonance spectroscopy is the prediction of the postmortem interval, which has been demonstrated in animal studies. Current research has directly quantified relevant metabolites such as ethanol, glucose, and beta-hydroxybutyrate to draw conclusions for forensic casework. This application is currently limited to a few relevant metabolites. A future potential of postmortem in situ magnetic resonance spectroscopy is the analysis of the entire metabolomic pattern. Estimation of cause of death based on the postmortem metabolome could be the next milestone in postmortem in situ magnetic resonance spectroscopy.