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Gustatory stimulation changes the apparent diffusion coefficient of salivary glands: initial experience
Harriet C Thoeny1, Frederik De Keyzer, Filip G Claus
1Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Radiology
|April 29, 2005
Summary
Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging reveals functional changes in salivary glands during taste stimulation. Parotid glands show decreased then increased diffusion, indicating dynamic responses to gustatory stimuli.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Physiology
Background:
- Salivary gland function is crucial for oral health.
- Non-invasive methods to assess salivary gland function are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in parotid and submandibular glands during gustatory stimulation using echo-planar diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.
- To assess the utility of DW MR imaging in demonstrating salivary gland function.
Main Methods:
- Healthy volunteers underwent DW MR imaging at rest and during gustatory stimulation with ascorbic acid.
- Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured in parotid and submandibular glands.
- Imaging data were analyzed for changes in ADC over time.
Main Results:
- A significant decrease in ADC was observed in both parotid and submandibular glands within the first 5 minutes of stimulation (P = .0001, P = .0004).
- Parotid glands showed a subsequent steady increase in ADC, peaking around 21 minutes (P = .0022).
- Submandibular glands did not exhibit a significant ADC increase post-stimulation.
Conclusions:
- DW MR imaging can noninvasively demonstrate functional changes in salivary glands.
- Parotid glands exhibit dynamic ADC changes during gustatory stimulation, unlike submandibular glands.
- This technique offers potential for assessing salivary gland physiology.