The changes of brain water diffusion and blood flow on diffusion-weighted and perfusion-weighted imaging in a canine model of cardiac arrest

Abstract

ObjectiveTo study the changes of brain water diffusion and cerebral haemodynamics of cortical areas using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in canine models of cardiac arrest (CA) and restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The secondary study objective was to evaluate whether MRI can be used to observe haemodynamic disorders in brain microcirculation. MethodsCA was induced in six beagle dogs using electrical stimulation followed by resuscitation to spontaneous circulation 3min later. The dogs were scanned using MRI for echo planar, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) with injection of Gd-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) prior to induction of CA and 3 days after ROSC. The arterial blood pressure, unilateral common carotid artery flow and intracranial microcirculation were recorded. ResultsAll dogs successfully underwent electric-induced ventricular fibrillation which lasted 3min and were resuscitated to maintain blood pressure stability. Serial MRI scans found that cerebral blood flow (RCBF) decreased in day 1 after ROSC and returned to baseline on day 3. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), however, decreased on day 1 and remained lower than baseline on day 3, with 765.8±82.5×10−6mm2s−1 on day 1 and 770.4±59.4×10−6mm2s−1 on day 3 comparing to 855.8±43.4×10−6mm2s−1 on baseline. ConclusionsThese data provide the evidence that early MRI can be used to observe acute haemodynamic disorders in brain microcirculation in a canine model of cardiac arrest.