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Brain parenchyma motion: measurement with cine echo-planar MR imaging
B P Poncelet1, V J Wedeen, R M Weisskoff
1MGH-NMR Center, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown 02129.
Radiology
|December 1, 1992
Summary
Researchers measured intrinsic brain parenchymal motion using echo-planar magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This technique revealed rapid systolic displacement and slow diastolic recovery, primarily in the cephalocaudal and lateral directions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Biophysics
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Background:
- The brain exhibits intrinsic pulsatile motion due to the cardiac cycle.
- Understanding this motion is crucial for diagnosing neurological conditions and assessing brain health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure and characterize the intrinsic pulsatile motion of human brain parenchyma.
- To evaluate the utility of phase-sensitive echo-planar MR imaging for quantifying brain motion velocities.
Main Methods:
- Acquisition of phase-sensitive, electrocardiography-gated, 2D cine echo-planar MR images in 14 healthy volunteers.
- Utilized a spin-echo, blipped echo-planar pulse sequence in transverse and coronal planes.
- Applied corrections for gross head motion to isolate intrinsic brain movement.
Main Results:
- Observed rapid brain displacement during systole and slow recovery during diastole.
- Identified primary motion in cephalocaudal and lateral directions, with minimal anteroposterior movement.
- Measured peak cephalocaudal velocities up to 2 mm/sec in the brain stem and medial velocities up to 1.5 mm/sec in the thalami.
- Determined net parenchymal excursions to be at most 0.5 mm.
Conclusions:
- Phase-based echo-planar velocity measurements correlate well with other quantitative MR techniques.
- Echo-planar imaging provides a rapid and adaptable method for assessing human brain pulsation velocities.
- This technique holds potential for clinical applications in evaluating brain dynamics.