rCBF Values Research Articles

Effect of anisodamine on regional cerebral blood flow in patients with dizziness: Arandomized single-blind controlled trial

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anisodamine on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and associateddizziness. 150 patients with dizziness induced by low rCBF were divided randomly into groups A (n = 60; anisodamine), P (n = 60; alprostadil), and C (n = 30; normal saline). rCBF and dizziness severity were evaluated. After treatment, rCBF values increased both in groups A and P. The subjective symptom of dizziness improved in 55 (91.7%) patients with the DHI score decreasing from 65.9 ± 5.4 to 23.1 ± 7.4 in group A, and the symptom improved in 37 (61.7%) patients with the DHI score decreasing from 66.8 ± 6.2 to 43.8 ± 8.6 in group P. The difference in DHI score and rCBF values in group A was more significant than that in group P. Anisodamine could increase rCBF and alleviate symptoms of dizziness more effectively than alprostadil.

Amide proton transfer-weighted and arterial spin labeling imaging may improve differentiation between high-grade glioma recurrence and radiation-induced brain injury

Rationale and objectivesThe management of tumor recurrence (TR) and radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI) poses significant challenges, necessitating the development of effective differentiation strategies. In this study, we investigated the potential of amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging for discriminating between TR and RIBI in patients with high-grade glioma (HGG). MethodsA total of 64 HGG patients receiving standard treatment were enrolled in this study. The patients were categorized based on secondary pathology or MRI follow-up results, and the demographic characteristics of each group were presented. The APTw, rAPTw, cerebral blood flow (CBF) and rCBF values were quantified. The differences in various parameters between TR and RIBI were assessed using the independent-samples t-test. The discriminative performance of these MRI parameters in distinguishing between the two conditions was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Additionally, the Delong test was employed to further evaluate their discriminatory ability. ResultsThe APTw and CBF values of TR were significantly higher compared to RIBI (P < 0.05). APTw MRI demonstrated superior diagnostic efficiency in distinguishing TR from RIBI (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.864; sensitivity: 75.0 %; specificity: 81.8 %) when compared to ASL imaging. The combined utilization of APTw and CBF value further enhanced the AUC to 0.922. The Delong test demonstrated that the combination of APTw and ASL exhibited superior performance in the identification of TR and RIBI, compared to ASL alone (P = 0.048). ConclusionAPTw exhibited superior diagnostic efficacy compared to ASL in the evaluation of TR and RIBI. Furthermore, the combination of APTw and ASL exhibits greater discriminatory capability and diagnostic performance.

Primary brain lymphoma and glioblastoma: evaluation of DCE T1 and DSC T2 MRI perfusion findings.

The accurate differentiation of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is clinically crucial due to the different treatment strategies between them. To define magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) perfusion findings in PCNSL to make a safe distinction from GBM with dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) T1 and DSC T2 MRI perfusion findings. This retrospective analysis included 19 patients with histopathologically diagnosed PCNSL and 21 individuals with GBM. DCE T1 vascular permeability perfusion values including K-trans, Ve, Kep, IAUGC, and DSC T2 perfusion values including cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in axial sections from the pathological lesion and contralateral normal brain parenchyma were measured quantitatively using region of interest analysis. The study observed no statistically significant difference between patients with PCNSL (T/B cell) and GBM in the median values of DCE T1 perfusion ratios (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, the DSC T2 perfusion ratios showed a substantial distinction between the two groups. In contrast to patients with PCNSL (1.185 vs. 1.224, respectively), those with GBM had higher median levels of r-CBV and r-CBF (2.898 vs. 2.467, respectively; P 0.01). A cutoff value of ≤1.473 for r-CBV (Lesion/N) and ≤1.6005 for r-CBF (Lesion/N) was found to estimate the positivity of PCNSL. DSC T2 MRI perfusion values showed lower r-CBV and r-CBF values in PCNSL patients compared to GBM patients. According to the findings, r-CBV and r-CBF are the most accurate MRI perfusion parameters for distinguishing between PCSNL and GBM.

Microstructure and Perfusion Alterations of Globus Pallidus in Neonates with Hyperbilirubinemia.

Previous studies have indicated the abnormality of the globus pallidus in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. This study aims to explore the microstructure and cerebral perfusion of globus pallidus in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia by using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) approaches. Thirty-seven neonates were enrolled in this study, which were classified into Bilirubin-Induced Neurologic Dysfunction (BIND) group (hyperbilirubinemia with BIND, n=12), non-BIND group (hyperbilirubinemia without BIND, n=15), and healthy controls (HC) group (n=10). The quantitative values of globus pallidus were calculated from DTI, including the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC), the Fractional Anisotropy (FA), and Volume Ratio (VR) values. Additionally, the relative Cerebral Blood Flow (rCBF) values were obtained from ASL. It was observed that the mean DTI signal of globus pallidus was significantly different among the three groups (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the rCBF of globus pallidus among the three groups (p > 0.05). A positive correlation was also observed between the fractional anisotropy (FA) value and serum bilirubin level (r = 0.561, p = 0.002), while the VR value showed a negative correlation with serum bilirubin level (r=-0.484, p=0.011). The area under the curve (AUC) of FA, VR, and FA and VR combined was 0.897, 0.858, and 0.933, respectively. The alterations of microstructure in globus pallidus, especially FA and VR value, may be valuable and sensitive at the early stage of hyperbilirubinemia encephalopathy, suggesting that early hyperbilirubinemia may lead to cytotoxic edema and decreased permeability of the cell membrane.

Glioma grading using an optimized T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging paradigm

BackgroundGlioma grading is a critical procedure for selecting the most effective treatment policy. Biopsy result is the gold standard method for glioma grading, but inherent sampling errors in the biopsy procedure could lead to tumor misclassification.AimThis study evaluated grading performances of a more comprehensive collection of the physiological indices quantified using an optimized dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) paradigm for glioma grading.MethodsThirty-five patients with glioma underwent DCE-MR imaging to evaluate the grading performances of DCE-MRI-derived physiological indices. The statistical differences in the physiological indices between the different grades of gliomas were studied, and the grading performances of these parameters were evaluated using the leave-one-out cross-validation method.ResultsThere were significant statistical differences in DCE-MRI-derived physiological indices between the different grades of gliomas. The mean rCBVs for grade II (low-grade glioma, LGG), grade III, grade IV, and high-grade (HGG) gliomas were 2.03 ± 0.78, 3.61 ± 1.64, 7.14 ± 3.19, and 5.28 ± 3.02, respectively. The mean rCBFs of 1.94 ± 0.97, 2.67 ± 0.96, 4.57 ± 1.77, and 3.57 ± 1.68 were, respectively, quantified for grade II (LGG), grade III, grade IV, and high-grade gliomas. The leave-one-out cross-validation method indicates that the grades of glioma tumors could be determined based on a specific threshold for each physiological index; for example, the optimal cutoff values for rCBF, rCBV, Ktrans, Kep, and Vp indices to distinguish between HGGs and LGGs were 2.11, 2.80, 0.025 mL/g min, 0.29 min−1, and 0.065 mL/g, respectively.ConclusionsFrom the results, it could be concluded that glioma grades could be determined using DCE-MRI-derived physiological indices with an acceptable agreement with histopathological results.

Abstract TP317: The Neuroprotective Effect of Dipyridamole in Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via Neuronal cGK1/2 Activation

Background and rationale: Smooth muscle cell-specific cGK1 knock-out mice (SMKO) due to impaired blood vessel motility is a leading cause of reduced blood flow in ischemic stroke. This study investigated relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), neuronal cGK1/2, and vessels cGK1/2 activity in smooth muscle cGK1 littermate control (SMLC), and SMKO mice with and without PDE5 inhibitor, dipyridamole. Methods: Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-reperfusion was performed in SMLC and SMKO. All mice were measured for the rCBF by laser Doppler flowmetry and investigated the behaviors after ischemic stroke. To confirm the time-kinetics of cGK1/2 changes, brain samples were divided ischemia-reperfusion period in SMLC and SMKO mice with and without dipyridamole (60 mg/kg, p.o.). Results: Infarction volumes were larger in SMKO compared to that of SMLC mice and neurological deficit score was worsening in SMKO compared to that of SMLC mice. The rCBF values during MCAO and at reperfusion were significantly decreased in the SMKO group. During the ischemia and reperfusion period, neuronal cGK1 was sustained without protein degradation. Not only SMLC but also SMKO were the same. However, neuronal cGK2 was decreased time-dependent manner. In contrast, infarction volume was decreased in SMKO by dipyridamole treatment and NDS was improved in SMKO with dipyridamole. The changes of cGK1 and cGK2 were reversed in the reperfusion period in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus with dipyridamole. Conclusion: We conclude that the neuroprotective effect of dipyridamole in ischemic stroke is not only dependent on smooth muscle cell-specific cGK1 function but also related to the neuronal cGK1/2 activation via PDE5 inhibition.

The utility of arterial spin labeling imaging for predicting prognosis after a recurrence of high-grade glioma in patients under bevacizumab treatment.

Currently, the antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab (BVZ) is used as a treatment option for high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. However, BVZ restores disruptions of the blood-brain barrier, which leads to the disappearance of contrast enhancement during radiological examinations and therefore complicates evaluations of treatment efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the radio-morphological features of recurrent lesions that newly appeared under BVZ therapy, as well as the utility of arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion imaging for evaluating treatment response and prognosis in HGG patients receiving BVZ. Thirty-two patients (20 males, 12 females; age range, 35-84 years) with HGG who experienced a recurrence under BVZ therapy were enrolled. We measured the relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values of each recurrent lesion using ASL, and retrospectively investigated the correlation between rCBF values and prognosis. The optimal rCBF cut-off value for predicting prognosis was defined as 1.67 using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The patients in the rCBF < 1.67 group had significantly longer overall survival (OS) and post-progression survival (PPS) than those in the rCBF ≥ 1.67 group (OS: 34.0 months vs. 13.0 months, p = 0.03 and PPS: 13.0 months vs. 6.0 months, p < 0.001, respectively). The ASL-derived rCBF values of recurrent lesions may serve as an effective imaging biomarker for prognosis in HGG patients undergoing BVZ therapy. Low rCBF values may indicate that BVZ efficacy is sustainable, which will influence BVZ treatment strategies in HGG patients.

Proposal for diagnosis using FLAIR image aimed for pediatric MELAS with recurrent stroke-like episodes on MRI system cannot take ASL imaging

BackgroundArterial spin-labeling (ASL) imaging is currently the most useful method for diagnosing mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like attack syndrome (MELAS). However, ASL is often an optional feature of standard MRI systems. Therefore, not all MRI systems can perform ASL imaging. In contrast, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging is one of the common sequences in brain MRI because FLAIR imaging can be performed regardless of the specifications of the equipment. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of quantitative analysis of signal intensity obtained from fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images with ASL images for MELAS with recurrent stroke-like episodes (SLEs). A total of 68 cases with normal magnetic resonance imaging findings and 25 cases diagnosed MELAS with recurrent SLEs were included. We evaluated the frontal lobe and cuneus as target areas and compared the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values obtained from ASL images with the normalized signal intensity (nSI) obtained from FLAIR images.ResultsThe sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing MELAS from linear discriminant analysis (LDA) obtained from the rCBF values were 0.84 and 0.941, respectively, and those of nSI were 0.8 and 0.897, respectively. The area under the ROC curves (AUC) calculated from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis using rCBF values and nSI were 0.889 and 0.804, respectively.ConclusionQuantitative analysis using the signal intensity of the FLAIR image could have a diagnostic performance equivalent to that of rCBF values obtained from ASL images.

Combining ADC values in DWI with rCBF values in arterial spin labeling (ASL) for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

We aimed to investigate the role of combined apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. The present prospective research enrolled 156 MCI patients and 58 healthy elderly people who came to our hospital from January 2021 to February 2023. T1W, T2W, diffusion-weighted imaging, and arterial spin labeling sequences were performed on all subjects, and ADC values and rCBF values were measured at the workstation. Clinical and demographic data of all patients were collected while mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scores were used to assess patients' cognitive abilities. The MCI group had significantly lower rCBF values in the left frontal lobe, left occipital lobe, right frontal lobe, and right occipital lobe than the HC group. The ADC values in the left frontal lobe as well as the right frontal lobe were remarkably elevated in the MCI group than in the HC group. MoCA and MMSE scores were positively correlated with rCBF values in the left frontal, right frontal, left occipital, and right occipital lobes and negatively correlated with ADC values in the left and right frontal lobes. Combined ADC values and rCBF values from the left frontal lobe for the diagnosis of MCI had a higher sensitivity and specificity with the AUC was 0.877, sensitivity 81.0%, specificity 82.7%. Additionally, pressure fasting plasma glucose, ADC of the left frontal lobe, right frontal lobe, rCBF of left frontal lobe and rCBF of left frontal lobe were the risk factors of patients with MCI. In summary, our results indicated that the ADC values and rCBF values were changed in MCI group compared to HC group and correlated with MMSE and MoCA scores.

Investigating cerebral perfusion with high resolution hyperpolarized [1-13 C]pyruvate MRI.

To investigate high-resolution hyperpolarized (HP) 13 C pyruvate MRI for measuring cerebral perfusion in the human brain. HP [1-13 C]pyruvate MRI was acquired in five healthy volunteers with a multi-resolution EPI sequence with 7.5 × 7.5 mm2 resolution for pyruvate. Perfusion parameters were calculated from pyruvate MRI using block-circulant singular value decomposition and compared to relative cerebral blood flow calculated from arterial spin labeling (ASL). To examine regional perfusion patterns, correlations between pyruvate and ASL perfusion were performed for whole brain, gray matter, and white matter voxels. High resolution 7.5 × 7.5 mm2 pyruvate images were used to obtain relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values that were significantly positively correlated with ASL rCBF values (r = 0.48, 0.20, 0.28 for whole brain, gray matter, and white matter voxels respectively). Whole brain voxels exhibited the highest correlation between pyruvate and ASL perfusion, and there were distinct regional patterns of relatively high ASL and low pyruvate normalized rCBF found across subjects. Acquiring HP 13 C pyruvate metabolic images at higher resolution allows for finer spatial delineation of brain structures and can be used to obtain cerebral perfusion parameters. Pyruvate perfusion parameters were positively correlated to proton ASL perfusion values, indicating a relationship between the two perfusion measures. This HP 13 C study demonstrated that hyperpolarized pyruvate MRI can assess cerebral metabolism and perfusion within the same study.

Cerebral perfusion in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A preliminary study with MR perfusion

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with altered cerebral vasoreactivity, cognitive impairment, and functional decline. Magnetic Resonance (MR) perfusion can be used to assess cerebral blood flow (CBF). The aim of this study is to analyze the association between diabetes mellitus and cerebral perfusion. MethodsThe study included 52 patients diagnosed with T2DM and 39 healthy individuals. The diabetic patients were classified into three groups (PRP: proliferative retinopathy, NPRP: non-proliferative retinopathy, Non-RP: non-retinopathy DM). The rCBF measurements of cortical gray matter and thalami were carried out using the region of interest. Reference quantitative measurements were performed from ipsilateral white matter. ResultsThe comparison between the T2DM group and the control group revealed that rCBF values of bilateral frontal lobes, cingulate gyrus, medial temporal lobe, thalami and right occipital lobe were measured to be significantly lower in the T2DM group (p < 0.05). No significant difference was detected between the two groups in terms of rCBF values of the left occipital lobe and anterior aspect of the left temporal lobe (p > 0.05). The rCBF values were lower in the anterior aspect of the right temporal lobe and the difference showed borderline statistical significance (p = 0.058). No significant difference was detected regarding mean rCBF values measured in the regions of cerebral hemispheres among the three patient groups with T2DM (p˃0.05). ConclusionRegional hypoperfusion was encountered in most of the lobes in the T2DM group when compared with the healthy group. However, in terms of rCBF values, there was no significant difference among the three groups with T2DM.

Distinction of Pseudoprogression and Progression in Glioblastoma Multiforme After Treatment: Utility of Ratio of Decrease in rCBV and rCBF Values on Serial Perfusion MRIs

Aim: To assess the value of perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) in the differentiation of early pseudoprogression from true progression in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients taking Temozolomide (TMZ) with radiotherapy (RT) treatment. Materials and Methods: Pre-RT and post-RT cranial pMRI scans of 23 GBM patients treated with RT-TMZ were reviewed. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of the residual enhancing lesions were measured on serial pMRI scans and proportioned. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine a threshold ratio of decrease in rCBV and rCBF. Results: There were nine patients (39%) with signs of radiological progression, of whom six (67%) had real progression and three (33%) had pseudoprogression based on follow-up MRI studies, clinical parameters and/or pathology. Ratio of decrease was 2.928 in rCBV and 2.510 in rCBF in the pseudoprogression group, which were significant according to Mann-Whitney U test (p=0.02). Cut-off ratio of decrease value of 1.73 for rCBV and 1.62 for rCBF between pre-RT and post-RT pMRI study, could differentiate the presence of early pseudoprogression with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Conclusion: Ratio of decrease in rCBV and rCBF is a reliable predictor of early pseudoprogression in GBM patients under RT-TMZ treatment.

Three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling for evaluation of cerebral hemodynamic changes after revascularization in adult patients with moyamoya disease

To evaluate cerebral hemodynamic changes using three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL) and its association with the changes of neurological symptoms in adult patients with moyamoya disease after revascularization. We prospectively collected the clinical and radiographic data of 40 adult patients with moyamoya disease diagnosed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) undergoing unilateral superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis. All the patients underwent 3D-pCASL examination before and after the surgery, and were followed up for 3 to 11 months after the operation. The region of interest (ROI) was located in the middle cerebral artery cortical territory covering the surgical side and ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and relative CBF (rCBF) values were compared before and after the surgery, and the changes in cerebral hemodynamics were evaluated. The correlations were analyzed between preoperative rCBF and Suzuki stage and between the changes in postoperative neurological symptoms and rCBF. The mean CBF of the patients increased significantly from 53.96±10.04 mL·100 g-1·min-1 to 58.90±13.57 mL·100 g-1·min-1 after the operation (t=-3.068, P=0.004); the mean rCBF also increased significantly after the operation (0.96 ± 0.14 vs 1.15 ± 0.18; t=-7.155, P < 0.001). The changes in postoperative neurological symptoms were significantly correlated with the changes in rCBF (P=0.017) and the type of disease onset (P < 0.001). 3D-pCASL is an valuable means for noninvasive monitoring of hemodynamic changes after revascularization in adult patients with moyamoya disease without the use of contrast agent.

MRI arterial spin labeling in evaluating hemorrhagic transformation following endovascular recanalization of subacute ischemic stroke.

To investigate the value of the MRI arterial spin labeling (ASL) in evaluating the blood-brain barrier permeability of anterior circulation ischemic lesions in subacute ischemic stroke (SIS) and the risk of hemorrhage transformation (HT) after endovascular recanalization. Patients with anterior circulation SIS treated with endovascular recanalization were prospectively enrolled. The imaging presentations in the MRI ASL sequences, dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) sequence, and Xper CT were studied. The relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), volume transfer constant (Ktrans), and the weighted Kappa coefficient (rKtrans) were analyzed. Among 27 eligible patients, HT occurred in 7 patients (25.92%). Patients with HT had significantly higher rCBF value (1.56 ± 0.16 vs. 1.16 ± 0.16), Ktrans, (0.08 ± 0.03 min vs. 0.03 ± 0.01 min) and rKtrans (3.02 ± 0.89 vs. 1.89 ± 0.56). The ASL imaging sequence had a high consistency with the DCE sequence and Xper CT with a high weighted Kappa coefficient of 0.91 for the DCE sequence and 0.70 for the Xper CT imaging. The DCE sequence was also highly consistent with the Xper CT in imaging classification with a high weighted Kappa coefficient of 0.78. The rCBF value in the 21 patients with the subcortical and basal ganglia infarction was significantly lower than that in the other 6 patients with the cortical infarction (1.222 ± 0.221 vs. 1.413 ± 0.259, t = 1.795, P = 0.004). The MRI ASL sequence has an important role in evaluating the blood-brain barrier permeability and the risk of hemorrhagic transformation of anterior circulation SIS following endovascular recanalization.

Diagnostic performance of MRI perfusion and spectroscopy for brainstem glioma grading.

This study investigated the roles of dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion and multivoxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in grading brainstem glioma (BSG). Our retrospective study comprised 12 patients, including 6 with pathology verified low-grade BSGs and 6 with high-grade BSGs. We examined differences in age, relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), and the metabolite ratios of choline (Cho)/N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and Cho/creatine (Cr) between these two groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to establish cutoff values and assess their usefulness in grading BSG. The Cho/NAA metabolite ratio had the strongest preoperative predictive performance for identifying the correct histological grade among BSGs, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of 0.944 (cutoff: 3.88, sensitivity [Se]: 83.3%; specificity [Sp]: 100%), followed by the Cho/Cr ratio (cutoff: 3.08; AUC: 0.917; Se: 83.3%; Sp: 100%), rCBF (cutoff: 3.56, AUC: 0.917; Se: 83.3%; Sp: 100%), rCBV (cutoff: 3.16, AUC: 0.889; Se: 100%; Sp: 66.7%), and age (cutoff: 9.5 years, AUC: 0.889; Se: 100%; Sp: 83.3%). rCBF and rCBV values comparing solid tumors with the normal brain parenchyma and the metabolite ratios for Cho/NAA and Cho/Cre may serve as useful indices for establishing BSG grading and provide important information when determining treatment planning and prognosis in patients with BSG.

Differentiation of true progression from treatment response in high-grade glioma treated with chemoradiation: a comparison study of 3D-APTW and 3D-PcASL imaging and DWI.

To assess and compare the diagnostic performance of 3D amide proton-transfer-weighted (3D-APTW) imaging, 3D pseudocontinuous arterial spin-labeling (3D-PcASL) imaging, and diffusion-weighted imaging in distinguishing true progression (TP) from treatment response (TR) in posttreatment malignant glioma patients. Forty-eight patients with suspected tumor recurrence were prospectively enrolled. Histological or longitudinal routine MRI follow-up over six months was assessed to confirm lesion type. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), relative APTWmax (rAPTW), and relative CBFmax values (rCBF) were measured in lesions with enhancing regions on post-gadolinium T1 -weighted MRI. MRI parameters between the TP and TR groups were compared using Student's t tests. In addition, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the differentiation diagnostic performance of each parameter. The TP group showed a significantly higher rAPTW and rCBF than the TR group; the AUCs of rAPTW and rCBF to distinguish between TP and TR were 0.911 (with sensitivity of 90.3% and specificity of 82.4%) and 0.852 (with sensitivity of 80.6% and specificity of 82.4%), respectively. By adding the rAPTW values to rCBF values, the diagnostic ability was improved from 0.852 to 0.951. ADC showed no significant differences between the TP and TR groups, with an AUC lower than 0.70. Both 3D-PcASL and 3D-APTW imaging could distinguish TP from TR, and 3D-APTW had a better diagnostic performance. Combining the rAPTW values and rCBF values achieved a better diagnostic performance.

Associations of Human Milk Oligosaccharides with Infant Brain Tissue Organization and Regional Blood Flow at 1 Month of Age.

Animal studies have shown that human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are important in early brain development, yet their roles have not been assessed in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations of HMOs with MRI indices of tissue microstructure and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in infants. Mother–infant pairs (N = 20) were recruited at 1 month postpartum. Milk was assayed for the concentrations of the HMOs 2′-fucosyllactose (2′FL), 3-fucosyllactose (3FL), 3′-sialyllactose (3′SL), and 6′-sialyllactose (6′SL). Diffusion and arterial spin labeling measures were acquired using a 3.0-Tesla MRI scanner. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the voxel-wise associations of HMOs with fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and rCBF values across the brain. After adjusting for pre-pregnancy BMI, sex, birthweight, and postmenstrual age at time of scan, a higher 2′FL concentration was associated with reduced FA, increased MD, and reduced rCBF in similar locations within the cortical mantle. Higher 3FL and 3′SL concentrations were associated with increased FA, reduced MD, and increased rCBF in similar regions within the developing white matter. The concentration of 6′SL was not associated with MRI indices. Our data reveal that fucosylated and sialylated HMOs differentially associate with indices of tissue microstructure and rCBF, suggesting specific roles for 2′FL, 3FL, and 3′SL in early brain maturation.

A flow self-regulating superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass based on side-to-side anastomosis for adult patients with moyamoya disease.

Side-to-side (S-S) superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass was reportedly used to treat a special moyamoya disease (MMD) patient with collaterals arising from the donor STA. However, the S-S technique is not routinely performed to date, and its benefits are still unknown for adult MMD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of routine use of the S-S technique for adult MMD. The authors retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 50 adult patients (65 hemispheres, including 30 in the end-to-side [E-S] group and 35 in the S-S group) with MMD who underwent STA-MCA bypass. The patient demographic characteristics, clinical courses, technical details, intraoperative blood flow data, postoperative and preoperative relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores, and short-term revascularization results were compared between the 2 groups. There were no significant differences observed in terms of the baseline characteristics, bypass patency rates, postoperative/preoperative rCBF values, incidence of cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS), mRS scores, and short-term revascularization results between the 2 groups (all p > 0.05). Intraoperative blood flow analysis showed that the increase of STA flow in the E-S group was significantly higher than that of proximal STA flow in the S-S group (p = 0.008). Although the increases of proximal and distal recipient flow in the E-S group seemed greater than those in the S-S group, the results were not statistically significant (p = 0.086 for proximal flow and p = 0.076 for distal flow). CHS symptoms in the S-S group were milder and with much shorter duration. The follow-up angiographic data of the representative case demonstrated that both frontal and parietal STA branches and the occipital artery participated in postoperative collateralization. S-S anastomosis can achieve comparable clinical effects to standard E-S construction. S-S anastomosis used in adult MMD demonstrated mild CHS symptoms with short duration and had the potential to arouse all scalp arteries as donor sources for revascularization through the intact distal STA branch via flow self-regulation.

PRE- AND POST- SHUNT CEREBRAL PERFUSION MEASURED BY DYNAMIC SUSCEPTIBILITY CONTRAST MRI IN PATIENTS WITH NORMAL PRESSURE HYDROCEPHALUS.

Background: NPH-related dementia is the only surgically manageable dementia. Response to ventricular shunting in NPH is variable. This study aims to establish a possible correlation between the changes in cerebral perfusion with clinical response to shunting. The study group consisted of Methods: 20 patients with NPH diagnoses who underwent ventricular shunting. Pre- and 3-month post- shunt DSC-MRI was done to assess the change in relative cerebral blood ow (rCBF). Mean ± SD values of rCBF in frontal grey matter, frontal periven Results: tricular white matter, parietal periventricular white matter and hippocampus were 0.91 ± 0.11, 0.61 ± 0.09, 0.47 ± 0.11 and 0.93 ± 0.06 before shunt surgery and 0.98 ± 0.06, 0.70 ± 0.07, 0.54 ± 0.07 and 0.98 ± 0.06 after shunt surgery in NPH patients who responded to shunt surgery; and 0.78 ± 0.17, 0.37 ± 0.14, 0.41 ± 0.11 and 0.89 ± 0.10 before shunt surgery and 0.79 ± 0.14, 0.37 ± 0.19, 0.38 ± 0.09 and 0.84 ± 0.07 after shunt surgery in NPH patients who did not respond to shunt surgery. Therefore, regional rCBF in these regions increased in responders after shunt surgery, with a signicant statistical difference (p-value &lt; 0.05) while no signicant change was seen in shunt non-responders (p-value &gt; 0.05). There is a correlation between a si Conclusion: gnicant increase in regional rCBF and clinical improvement after shunt surgery.

3D Amide Proton Transfer-Weighted Imaging for Grading Glioma and Correlating IDH Mutation Status: Added Value to 3D Pseudocontinuous Arterial Spin Labelling Perfusion.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of 3D amide proton transfer-weighted (3D-APTW) imaging and 3D pseudocontinuous arterial spin labelling (3D-pCASL) alone and in combination in grading gliomas (low-grade glioma (LGG) vs. high-grade glioma (HGG)) and correlating isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status. Preoperatively, 81 patients with pathologically confirmed gliomas underwent 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. The APTW, relative APTW (rAPTW), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and relative CBF (rCBF) values were calculated to evaluate the solid components of the tumours. The MRI parameters were compared in the classification of gliomas by independent- and paired-samples t tests. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the diagnostic performance of each parameter and the combination of the rAPTW and rCBF values. Patients with HGG showed significantly higher APTW, rAPTW, CBF, and rCBF values than those with LGG (all p < 0.001). In the ROC curve analysis, the AUC of rAPTW was the highest at 0.90. By adding the rAPTW signal to the rCBF values, the diagnostic ability of the combined parameters improved from 0.90 to 0.96. The rAPTW value yielded the highest AUC (0.92) in correlating the IDH mutation status, and the diagnostic ability improved to 0.96 by adding it to the rCBF value. 3D-APTW imaging combined with 3D-pCASL imaging may be used to aid assessment of grading glioma and IDH mutation status.