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Brain T2 relaxation times correlate with regional cerebral blood volume

C M Anderson1, M J Kaufman, S B Lowen

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. carl_anderson@hms.harvard.edu

Magma (New York, N.Y.)
|December 14, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Brain T2 relaxometry measurements correlate with regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) in humans. This finding suggests T2 imaging may estimate rCBV, aiding neurological research.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Background:

  • Previous studies noted cerebellar and putaminal T2 differences in ADHD and childhood trauma patients.
  • Deoxyhemoglobin concentration ([dHb]), linked to regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV), influences brain T2.
  • A T2-rCBV correlation exists in other species but needed human validation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the correlation between T2 and rCBV in the human brain.
  • To validate T2 relaxometry as a potential non-invasive method for estimating rCBV.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized echo planar imaging (EPI) T2 relaxometry and dynamic susceptibility-contrast (DSC) MRI.
  • Measured T2 and rCBV in 11 healthy adult participants.

Main Results:

  • Significant positive correlations between T2 and rCBV were found in the cerebellar vermis (r = 0.759, p = 0.007) and putamen (r = 0.782, p = 0.004).
  • Each 1-msec change in T2 predicted approximately 9-10% change in rCBV in these regions.

Conclusions:

  • Brain T2 measurements show a significant correlation with rCBV in humans.
  • T2 relaxometry may serve as a valuable tool for estimating steady-state rCBV in neuroimaging studies.

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