Abnormal cerebral hemodynamics and blood-brain barrier permeability detected with perfusion MRI in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

OBJECTIVE: Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has previously shown alterations in cerebral perfusion in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the results have been inconsistent, in particular regarding neuropsychiatric (NP) SLE. Thus, we investigated perfusion-based measures in different brain regions in SLE patients with and without NP involvement, and additionally, in white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), the most common MRI pathology in SLE patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 3 T MRI images (conventional and DSC) from 64 female SLE patients and 19 healthy controls (HC). Three different NPSLE attribution models were used: the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) A model (13 patients), the SLICC B model (19 patients), and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) case definitions for NPSLE (38 patients). Normalized cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and mean transit time (MTT) were calculated in 26 manually drawn regions of interest and compared between SLE patients and HC, and between NPSLE and non-NPSLE patients. Additionally, normalized CBF, CBV and MTT, as well as absolute values of the blood-brain barrier leakage parameter (K2) were investigated in WMHs compared to normal appearing white matter (NAWM) in the SLE patients. RESULTS: After correction for multiple comparisons, the most prevalent finding was a bilateral significant decrease in MTT in SLE patients compared to HC in the hypothalamus, putamen, right posterior thalamus and right anterior insula. Significant decreases in SLE compared to HC were also found for CBF in the pons, and for CBV in the bilateral putamen and posterior thalamus. Significant increases were found for CBF in the posterior corpus callosum and for CBV in the anterior corpus callosum. Similar patterns were found for both NPSLE and non-NPSLE patients for all attributional models compared to HC. However, no significant perfusion differences were revealed between NPSLE and non-NPSLE patients regardless of attribution model. The WMHs in SLE patients showed a significant increase in all perfusion-based metrics (CBF, CBV, MTT and K2) compared to NAWM. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed perfusion differences in several brain regions in SLE patients compared to HC, independently of NP involvement. Furthermore, increased K2 in WMHs compared to NAWM may indicate blood-brain barrier dysfunction in SLE patients. We conclude that our results show a robust cerebral perfusion, independent from the different NP attribution models, and provide insight into potential BBB dysfunction and altered vascular properties of WMHs in female SLE patients. Despite SLE being most prevalent in females, a generalization of our conclusions should be avoided, and future studies including all sexes are needed.

Diffusion-weighted MRI measurements on stroke patients reveal water-exchange mechanisms in sub-acute ischaemic lesions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the diffusion time dependence of signal-versus-b curves obtained from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) of sub-acute ischaemic lesions in stroke patients. In this case series study, 16 patients with sub-acute ischaemic stroke were examined with DW-MRI using two different diffusion times (60 and 260 ms). Nine of these patients showed sufficiently large lesions without artefacts to merit further analysis. The signal-versus-b curves from the lesions were plotted and analysed using a two-compartment model including compartmental exchange. To validate the model and to aid the interpretation of the estimated model parameters, Monte Carlo simulations were performed. In eight cases, the plotted signal-versus-b curves, obtained from the lesions, showed a signal-curve split-up when data for the two diffusion times were compared, revealing effects of compartmental water exchange. For one of the patients, parametric maps were generated based on the extracted model parameters. These novel observations suggest that water exchange between different water pools is measurable and thus potentially useful for clinical assessment. The information can improve the understanding of the relationship between the DW-MRI signal intensity and the microstructural properties of the lesions.

Endovascular treatment of intracerebral arteriovenous malformations: procedural safety, complications, and results evaluated by MR imaging, including diffusion and perfusion imaging.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endovascular embolization is an increasingly common method to treat intracerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM). To date, however, published data are rather scarce, especially with regard to true procedure-related complications and their causes. The purpose of our study was to evaluate treatment safety and correlate anatomic results with clinical outcome by using MR imaging, including diffusion-weighted (DWI) and perfusion imaging (PI). METHODS: We performed 50 endovascular procedures in 21 patients. Most AVMs were supratentorial, Spetzler-Martin grades II-IV. MR imaging was scheduled within 1 week before and 3 days after each treatment. MR imaging findings were correlated to digital subtraction angiography, procedure reports, and the clinical course. Outcome was graded according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) 3-6 months after treatment. RESULTS: In this study, 104 MR imaging examinations were performed; mean interval between the endovascular procedure and posttreatment MR imaging was 28 hours. Nine adverse events occurred in 7 patients during 8 procedures (16%), one causing a permanent deficit. New lesions were noted on MR imaging after 22/50 procedures. Ischemic lesions in 22% of the procedures, frequently located perinidally. Most lesions were small, frequently asymptomatic, and reversible (18/23). Four hematomas were found. Subacute hemorrhages developed from a vasogenic edema on 2 occasions. New lesions, including hematomas, developed between treatments in 4 patients, mainly because of progressive occlusion of the nidus or draining veins. PI overestimated the AVM nidus on most occasions, and transient worsening of the PI pattern was noted in 2 patients. Treatment-related mortality and morbidity were 0% and 14.2%, respectively (mRS 1-2). CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular procedures are rather safe but are associated with more ischemic events and followed by less hemodynamic disturbances than previously understood. Adverse procedural events and new MR imaging lesions were generally asymptomatic and most often transient, if symptomatic. Most lesions would not have been verified without MR imaging. DWI and PI were most useful to detect and understand the cause of various complications. The most clinically important complications were caused by late venous occlusions.

Development of educational image databases and e-books for medical physics training.

Medical physics education and training requires the use of extensive imaging material and specific explanations. These requirements provide an excellent background for application of e-Learning. The EU projects Consortia EMERALD and EMIT developed five volumes of such materials, now used in 65 countries. EMERALD developed e-Learning materials in three areas of medical physics (X-ray diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy). EMIT developed e-Learning materials in two further areas: ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. This paper describes the development of these e-Learning materials (consisting of e-books and educational image databases). The e-books include tasks helping studying of various equipment and methods. The text of these PDF e-books is hyperlinked with respective images. The e-books are used through the readers' own Internet browser. Each Image Database (IDB) includes a browser, which displays hundreds of images of equipment, block diagrams and graphs, image quality examples, artefacts, etc. Both the e-books and IDB are engraved on five separate CD-ROMs. Demo of these materials can be taken from www.emerald2.net.

Accuracy of Parenchymal Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements Using Pseudocontinuous Arterial Spin-Labeling in Healthy Volunteers.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The arterial spin-labeling method for CBF assessment is widely available, but its accuracy is not fully established. We investigated the accuracy of a whole-brain arterial spin-labeling technique for assessing the mean parenchymal CBF and the effect of aging in healthy volunteers. Phase-contrast MR imaging was used as the reference method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-two healthy volunteers were included: 49 young (age range, 20-30 years) and 43 elderly (age range, 65-80 years). Arterial spin-labeling parenchymal CBF values were averaged over the whole brain to quantify the mean pCBF(ASL) value. Total CBF was assessed with phase-contrast MR imaging as the sum of flows in the internal carotid and vertebral arteries, and subsequent division by brain volume returned the pCBF(PCMRI) value. Accuracy was considered as good as that of the reference method if the systematic difference was less than 5 mL/min/100 g of brain tissue and if the 95% confidence intervals were equal to or better than ±10 mL/min/100 g. RESULTS: pCBF(ASL) correlated to pCBF(PCMRI) (r = 0.73; P < .001). Significant differences were observed between the pCBF(ASL) and pCBF(PCMRI) values in the young (P = .001) and the elderly (P < .001) volunteers. The systematic differences (mean ± 2 standard deviations) were -4 ± 14 mL/min/100 g in the young subjects and 6 ± 12 mL/min/100 g in the elderly subjects. Young subjects showed higher values than the elderly subjects for pCBF(PCMRI) (young, 57 ± 8 mL/min/100 g; elderly, 54 ± 7 mL/min/100 g; P = .05) and pCBF(ASL) (young, 61 ± 10 mL/min/100 g; elderly, 48 ± 10 mL/min/100 g; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The limits of agreement were too wide for the arterial spin-labeling method to be considered satisfactorily accurate, whereas the systematic overestimation in the young subjects and underestimation in the elderly subjects were close to acceptable. The age-related decrease in parenchymal CBF was augmented in arterial spin-labeling compared with phase-contrast MR imaging.

MRI thermometry in phantoms by use of the proton resonance frequency shift method: application to interstitial laser thermotherapy.

In this work the temperature dependence of the proton resonance frequency was assessed in agarose gel with a high melting temperature (95 degrees C) and in porcine liver in vitro at temperatures relevant to thermotherapy (25-80 degrees C). Furthermore, an optically tissue-like agarose gel phantom was developed and evaluated for use in MRI. The phantom was used to visualize temperature distributions from a diffusing laser fibre by means of the proton resonance frequency shift method. An approximately linear relationship (0.0085 ppm degrees C(-1)) between proton resonance frequency shift and temperature change was found for agarose gel, whereas deviations from a linear relationship were observed for porcine liver. The optically tissue-like agarose gel allowed reliable MRI temperature monitoring, and the MR relaxation times (T1 and T2) and the optical properties were found to be independently alterable. Temperature distributions around a diffusing laser fibre, during irradiation and subsequent cooling, were assessed with high spatial resolution (voxel size = 4.3 mm3) and with random uncertainties ranging from 0.3 degrees C to 1.4 degrees C (1 SD) with a 40 s scan time.

Quantitative diffusion coefficient maps using fast spin-echo MRI.

In this work, we have evaluated the performance of a diffusion-sensitive fast spin-echo (FSE) pulse sequence. The proposed pulse sequence utilises velocity-compensating diffusion-encoding gradients and includes the collection of navigator echoes. Spoiler gradients were inserted in the slice-selecting direction to minimise effects from stimulated echoes. Calculations of the b values showed that cross-terms between imaging gradients and diffusion gradients only led to a marginal increase of b values. Pixel-wise calculation of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps was performed numerically, considering cross-terms between diffusion-encoding and imaging gradients. The sequences investigated used echo train lengths of 16, 8 and 4 echoes and were encoded in either the slice-, frequency- or phase-encoding direction. In order to allow for higher b values a pulse-sequence version using non-motion compensating diffusion-encoding gradients was written. Phantom measurements were performed and the diffusion coefficients of water and acetone were reasonable. Seven healthy volunteers (age 28-50 years) were examined and apparent diffusion coefficient values agreed well with expected values. Diffusion-weighted images, apparent diffusion coefficient maps and images corresponding to the trace of the diffusion tensor of good quality were retrieved in vivo.

Quantification of low-velocity motion using a navigator-echo supported MR velocity-mapping technique: application to intracranial dynamics in volunteers and patients with brain tumours.

Gradient-echo pulse sequences with velocity-encoding gradients of 22.5-25 mT/m, were used for brain-motion and CSF-flow studies. To reduce motion artifacts, a phase-correction technique based on navigator echoes was evaluated. Three patients with right-sided parietal tumours were investigated; one astrocytoma grade III-IV, one astrocytoma grade I-II and one benign meningioma. In healthy volunteers, a maximal brain-tissue velocity of (0.94 +/- 0.26) mm/s (mean +/- 1SD) was observed, which is consistent with previously presented results. The phase correction was proven useful for reduction of artifacts due to external head movements in modulus and phase images, without loss of phase information related to internal motion. The tissue velocity within the astrocytomas was low during the entire cardiac cycle. An abnormally high rostral velocity component was, however, observed in the brain tissue frontal to the astrocytomas. In all patients, an abnormal CSF flow pattern was observed. The study of brain motion may provide further understanding of the effects of tumours and other pathological conditions in the brain. When considering intracranial motion as a source of error in diffusion/perfusion MRI, the present study suggests that a pathology can alter the properties of brain motion and CSF flow considerably, leading to a more complex impact on diffusion/perfusion images.

Effects of echo time variation on perfusion assessment using dynamic susceptibility contrast MR imaging at 3 tesla.

The implications of changing the echo time of a gradient-echo echo planar imaging sequence applied to dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) for perfusion imaging at 3T were investigated. Four echo times in the range of 21 to 45 ms were examined in a total of 17 patients who received a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg bodyweight Gadobutrol (Gadovist, 1.0 mmol/ml). As the primary optimization parameter, the concentration-to-noise ratio (SNRc) was selected as it takes effects of variations in baseline as well as in signal drop into account. In an analysis of gray matter, white matter and arterial regions of interest, SNRc showed the highest values for the shortest applied echo time in all cases. Maps of regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and blood flow (rCBF) were calculated using deconvolution based on singular value decomposition. The quality of rCBF and rCBV images was judged to be good or excellent in all cases, independent of the echo time. Calculated gray matter/white matter ratios of rCBF and rCBV displayed no significant dependence on the applied echo time. Considering the better SNRc and arterial signal saturation aspects, we found that the shortest investigated echo time was the superior one. We thus suggest that short echo times should be applied, taking technical limitations and clinical demands into consideration.

Evaluating the accuracy and precision of a two-compartment Kärger model using Monte Carlo simulations.

Specific parameters of the neuronal tissue microstructure, such as axonal diameters, membrane permeability and intracellular water fractions are assessable using diffusion MRI. These parameters are commonly estimated using analytical models, which may introduce bias in the estimated parameters due to the approximations made when deriving the models. As an alternative to using analytical models, a database of signal curves generated by fast Monte Carlo simulations can be employed. Simulated diffusion MRI measurements were generated and evaluated using the two-compartment Kärger model as well as the simulation model based on a database containing signal curves from approximately 60000 simulations performed with different combinations of microstructural parameters. A protocol based on a pulsed gradient spin echo sequence with diffusion times of 30 and 60 ms and with gradient amplitudes obtainable with a clinical MRI scanner was employed for the investigations. When using the analytical model, a major negative bias (up to approximately 25%) in the estimated intracellular volume fraction was observed for short exchange times, while almost no bias was seen for the simulation model. In general, the simulation model improved the accuracy of the estimated parameters as compared to the analytical model, except for the exchange time parameter.

Gadolinium contrast agent is of limited value for magnetic resonance imaging assessment of synovial hypertrophy in hemophiliacs.

PURPOSE: To examine the influence of different doses of gadolinium contrast agent on synovial enhancement, to compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of synovial hypertrophy and radiographic joint changes in hemophiliacs, and to investigate the value of gadolinium in MRI assessment of synovial hypertrophy in hemophiliacs using dynamic MRI and MRI scoring. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one hemophiliacs on prophylactic factor treatment without recent bleeds were subjected to radiography and gadolinium contrast-enhanced dynamic and static MRI of the knee using a standard dose of 0.1 mmol/kg b.w. gadoteridol. In 17 of the patients, the MRI procedure was repeated after a triple dose of gadoteridol. RESULTS: MRI findings of synovial hypertrophy were significantly correlated with Pettersson radiographic scores. In 19 of the 21 MRI investigated joints, administration of contrast agent did not alter the result of the evaluation of synovial hypertrophy. CONCLUSION: The optimal time interval for volume assessment of synovial hypertrophy after injection of gadolinium contrast agent is dose dependent. Hemophiliacs without recent bleeds have minor to abundant synovial hypertrophy in joints with pronounced radiographic changes. Dynamic MRI is not useful for evaluating hemophilic arthropathy, and gadolinium contrast agent is not routinely indicated for MRI scoring of joints in hemophiliacs.

Attempts to improve absolute quantification of cerebral blood flow in dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging: a simplified T1-weighted steady-state cerebral blood volume approach.

BACKGROUND: Attempts to retrieve absolute values of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) have typically resulted in overestimations. PURPOSE: To improve DSC-MRI CBF estimates by calibrating the DSC-MRI-based cerebral blood volume (CBV) with a corresponding T1-weighted (T1W) steady-state (ss) CBV estimate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 17 volunteers were investigated by DSC-MRI and 133Xe SPECT. Steady-state CBV calculation, assuming no water exchange, was accomplished using signal values from blood and tissue, before and after contrast agent, obtained by T1W spin-echo imaging. Using steady-state and DSC-MRI CBV estimates, a calibration factor K = CBV(ss)/CBV(DSC) was obtained for each individual. Average whole-brain CBF(DSC) was calculated, and the corrected MRI-based CBF estimate was given by CBF(ss) = K x CBF(DSC). RESULTS: Average whole-brain SPECT CBF was 40.1+/-6.9 ml/min x 100 g, while the corresponding uncorrected DSC-MRI-based value was 69.2+/-13.8 ml/min x 100 g. After correction with the calibration factor, a CBF(ss) of 42.7+/-14.0 ml/min x 100 g was obtained. The linear fit to CBF(ss)-versus-CBF(SPECT) data was close to proportionality (R = 0.52). CONCLUSION: Calibration by steady-state CBV reduced the population average CBF to a reasonable level, and a modest linear correlation with the reference 133Xe SPECT technique was observed. Possible explanations for the limited accuracy are, for example, large-vessel partial-volume effects, low post-contrast signal enhancement in T1W images, and water-exchange effects.

Dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion magnetic resonance (MR) imaging combined with contrast-enhanced MR imaging in the follow-up of immunogene-treated glioblastoma multiforme.

PURPOSE: To assess the value of the combined use of dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and conventional contrast-enhanced MRI for the follow-up of treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 79 examinations were performed in six surgically and immunogene-treated patients and two surgically treated patients. Ratios of the relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) in lesions and in the contralateral normal-appearing white matter were calculated. The regions with elevated rCBV were compared with those with contrast enhancement. Tissue specimens from surgical biopsies and autopsies were studied histopathologically. RESULTS: The lesion-to-normal rCBV ratios were high in the tumors prior to operation (7.3 to 18.2) as well as in the recurrent tumors (1.6 to 13.2). The volumes of the regions with elevated rCBV were similar to those with contrast enhancement in 63 of the 79 examinations. However, in 11 of 79 examinations, the regions with high rCBV were smaller than the regions with contrast enhancement ("mismatch"). In two samples from the immunogene-treated patients this was correlated with the histopathological finding of malignant tumor with numerous proliferating GBM vessels with multiple minimal lumina, sometimes thrombotized or ruptured. These vessels may have increased permeability with contrast enhancement not accompanied by increased microvascular volume. CONCLUSION: 1) Elevated rCBV on perfusion MRI corresponding to the contrast-enhancing lesion supports the diagnosis of recurrent malignant tumor. 2) A mismatch showing a volume of rCBV elevation smaller than that of contrast enhancement can be seen in particularly aggressive tumor growth and is thus not always a sign of reactive non-tumor changes. 3) The combination of perfusion MRI and conventional contrast MRI provides useful information in the follow-up of glioblastoma multiforme treatment.

Wavelet-based noise reduction for improved deconvolution of time-series data in dynamic susceptibility-contrast MRI.

Dynamic susceptibility-contrast (DSC) MRI requires deconvolution to retrieve the tissue residue function R(t) and the cerebral blood flow (CBF). In this study, deconvolution of time-series data was performed by wavelet-transform-based denoising combined with the Fourier transform (FT). Traditional FT-based deconvolution of noisy data requires frequency-domain filtering, often leading to excessive smoothing of the recovered signal. In the present approach, only a low degree of regularisation was employed while the major noise reduction was accomplished by wavelet transformation of data and Wiener-like filtering in the wavelet space. After inverse wavelet transform, the estimate of CBF.R(t) was obtained. DSC-MRI signal-versus-time curves (signal-to-noise ratios 40 and 100) were simulated, corresponding to CBF values in the range 10-60 ml/(min 100 g). Three shapes of the tissue residue function were investigated. The technique was also applied to six volunteers. Simulations showed CBF estimates with acceptable accuracy and precision, as well as independence of any time shift between the arterial input function and the tissue concentration curve. The grey-matter to white-matter CBF ratio in volunteers was 2.4+/-0.2. The proposed wavelet/FT deconvolution is robust and can be implemented into existing perfusion software. CBF maps from healthy volunteers showed high quality.

Diffusion and perfusion MRI in patients with ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated by endovascular coiling: complications, procedural results, MR findings and clinical outcome.

Our purpose was to evaluate treatment safety as well as complications frequency and management in endovascular coiling of intracerebral aneurysms using MR diffusion and perfusion imaging. In this prospective study, 77 MR examinations were performed in conjunction with 43 procedures in 40 patients, 14 patients presented with ruptured and 26 with unruptured aneurysms. Mean time interval between treatment and post-procedure MRI was 29 and 25 h for the ruptured and unruptured aneurysm group, respectively. Peri-procedural complications, including five major events and five minor transient events, occurred in 10/43 procedures (23%), necessitating thrombolytic therapy in two patients and angioplasty in one, all three within the unruptured aneurysm group. Fifty-one new lesions were found on post-treatment DWI and 47 of them were regarded as of ischemic origin. Most lesions were small (<3 mm), ipsilateral to the treated aneurysm and asymptomatic (37/40 patients). Sixty-seven percent of the lesions were found in the ruptured and 33% in the unruptured aneurysm group. The ischemic lesions did occur more frequently in patients treated for aneurysm of large neck size and according to the remodelling technique. The overall morbidity and mortality rates were 14.6 and 7.3% whereas morbidity and mortality rates related to the technique were only 2.6 and 0%, respectively. Silent embolism seems to be more common than clinically evident and partially related to patient presentation, heparinazation and treatment strategy. The capability to depict early complications and analyse their potential causes by using MR with DWI has been of great importance in our modification and improvement of therapeutic protocols, evaluations and strategies.

A computer simulation program for MR imaging: application to RF and static magnetic field imperfections.

A computer simulation program capable of demonstrating various artifacts, such as image distortion caused by metallic implants in MR imaging, is presented. The structure of the program allows for the implementation of various imaging situations as long as spins only experience weak interaction, i.e., the Bloch equations are obeyed. The raw data are obtained by repeatedly applying the Bloch equations to the magnetization vector of each point of the simulated object, throughout the pulse sequence. With only a limited number of spins in each voxel, the effects of intravoxel dephasing and rephasing require special attention, and algorithms for this have been implemented.

Pulsatile brain movement and associated hydrodynamics studied by magnetic resonance phase imaging. The Monro-Kellie doctrine revisited.

Brain tissue movements were studied in axial, sagittal and coronal planes in 15 healthy volunteers, using a gated spin echo MRI sequence. All movements had characteristics different from those of perfusion and diffusion. The highest velocities occurred during systole in the basal ganglia (maximum 1.0 mm/s) and brain stem (maximum 1.5 mm/s). The movements were directed caudally, medially and posteriorly in the basal ganglia, and caudally-anteriorly in the pons. Caudad and anterior motion increased towards the foramen magnum and towards the midline. The resultant movement occurred in a funnel-shaped fashion as if the brain were pulled by the spinal cord. This may be explained by venting of brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the tentorial notch and foramen magnum. The intracranial volume is assumed to be always constant by the Monro-Kellie doctrine. The intracranial dynamics can be viewed as an interplay between the spatial requirements of four main components: arterial blood, capillary blood (brain volume), venous blood and CSF. These components could be characterized, and the expansion of the arteries and the brain differentiated, by applying the Monro-Kellie doctrine to every moment of the cardiac cycle. The arterial expansion causes a re-moulding of the brain that enables its piston-like action. The arterial expansion creates the prerequisites for the expansion of the brain by venting CSF to the spinal canal. The expansion of the brain is, in turn, responsible for compression of the ventricular system and hence for the intraventricular flow of CSF.

Absolute cerebral blood flow measured by dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI: a direct comparison with Xe-133 SPECT.

Absolute regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured in ten healthy volunteers, using both dynamic susceptibility-contrast (DSC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Xe-133 SPECT within 4 h. After i.v. injection of Gd-DTPA-BMA (0.3 mmol/kg b.w.), the bolus was monitored with a Simultaneous Dual FLASH pulse sequence (1.5 s/image), providing one slice through brain tissue and a second slice through the carotid artery. Concentration C(t) is proportional to -(1/TE) ln[S(t)/S(0)] was related to CBF as C(t) = CBF [AIF(t) x R(t)], where AIF is the arterial input function and R(t) is the residue function. A singular-value-decomposition-based deconvolution technique was used for retrieval of R(t). Absolute CBF was given by Zierler's area-to-height relation and the central volume principle. For elimination of large vessels (ELV), all MRI-based CBF values exceeding 2.5 times the mean CBF value of the slice were excluded. A correction for partial-volume effects (CPVE) in the artery used for AIF monitoring was based on registration of signal in a phantom with tubes of various diameters (1.5-6.5 mm), providing an individual concentration correction factor applied to AIF data registered in vivo. In the Xe-133 SPECT investigation, 3,000-4,000 MBq of Xe-133 was administered intravenously, and CBF was calculated using the Kanno Lassen algorithm. When ELV and CPVE were applied, DSC-MRI showed average CBF values from the entire slice of 43 +/- 10 ml/(min 100 g) (small-artery AIF) and 48 +/- 17 ml/(min 100 g) (carotid-artery AIF) (mean +/- S.D., n = 10). The corresponding Xe-133-SPECT-based CBF was 33 +/- 6 ml/(min 100 g) (n = 10). The relationships of CBF(MRI) versus CBF(SPECT) showed good linear correlation (r = 0.74-0.83).

Theoretical and experimental evaluation of phase-dispersion effects caused by brain motion in diffusion and perfusion MR imaging.

We investigated intravoxel phase dispersion caused by pulsatile brain motion in diffusion spin-echo pulse sequences. Mathematical models were used to describe the spatial and temporal velocity distributions of human brain motion. The spatial distribution of brain-tissue velocity introduces a phase spread over one voxel, leading to signal loss. This signal loss was estimated theoretically, and effects on observed diffusion coefficient and perfused capillary fraction were assessed. When parameters from a diffusion pulse sequence without motion compensation were used, and ECG triggering with inappropriate delay times was assumed, the maximal signal loss caused by brain-motion-induced phase dispersion was predicted to be 21%. This corresponds to a 95% overestimation of the diffusion coefficient, and the perfusion-fraction error was small. Corresponding calculations for motion-compensated pulse sequences predicted a 1% to 1.5% signal loss due to undesired phase dispersion, whereas experimental results indicated a signal loss related to brain motion of 4%.

The perfusion fraction in volunteers and in patients with ischaemic stroke.

The fractional volume of capillary blood, i.e. the perfusion fraction f, was measured with the aid of an echo-planar imaging protocol originally designed for the measurement of water diffusion. In healthy volunteers, reasonable f values were obtained. In patients with cerebral ischaemic stroke, a marked decrease in the f value was seen in the infarcted region as compared with corresponding values in the contralateral hemisphere. We suggest that perfusion-fraction measurements may add to the diagnostic value of water-mobility examinations in patients with ischaemic disease.