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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
MRI Mapping of Cerebrovascular Reactivity via Gas Inhalation Challenges
Published on: December 17, 2014
Analysing the response in R2* relaxation rate of intracranial tumours to hyperoxic and hypercapnic respiratory
A Müller1, S Remmele, I Wenningmann
1Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany.
Objective:
To investigate the response in R2* relaxation rate of human intracranial tumours during hyperoxic and hypercapnic respiratory challenges.
Methods:
In seven patients with different intracranial tumours, cerebral R2* changes during carbogen and CO(2)/air inhalation were monitored at 3 T using a dynamic multigradient-echo sequence of high temporal and spatial resolution. The R2* time series of each voxel was tested for significant change. Regions of interest were analysed with respect to response amplitude and velocity.
Results:
The tumours showed heterogeneous R2* responses with large interindividual variability. In the 'contrast-enhancing' area of five patients and in the 'non-tumoral' tissue most voxels showed a decrease in R2* for carbogen. For the 'contrast-enhancing' area of two patients hardly any responses were found. In areas of 'necrosis' and perifocal 'oedema' typically voxels with R2* increase and no response were found for both gases. For tissue responding to CO(2)/air, the R2* changes were of the same order of magnitude as those for carbogen. The response kinetic was generally attenuated in tumoral tissue.
Conclusion:
The spatially resolved determination of R2* changes reveals the individual heterogeneous response characteristic of intracranial human tumours during hyperoxic and hypercapnic respiratory challenges.
