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A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Protocol for Stroke Onset Time Estimation in Permanent Cerebral Ischemia
Published on: September 16, 2017
Do acute phase markers explain body temperature and brain temperature after ischemic stroke?
William N Whiteley1, Ralph Thomas, Gordon Lowe
1Division of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Neurology
|June 30, 2012
Summary
Systemic inflammation correlates with higher brain and body temperatures in stroke patients. However, this link doesn't extend to later ischemic brain temperatures, suggesting inflammation impacts normal brain temperature more significantly.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Medical Research
Background:
- Elevated brain and body temperatures are observed post-stroke, but their origins remain unclear.
- Investigating the link between inflammation and temperature changes is crucial for understanding stroke pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between circulating inflammatory markers and brain/body temperature in acute ischemic stroke patients.
- To differentiate temperature changes in ischemic versus normal brain tissue.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 44 acute ischemic stroke patients.
- Measured brain temperature using multivoxel magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging in normal and DWI-defined ischemic brain regions.
- Monitored body temperature and quantified interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen levels daily for 5 days.
Main Results:
- Admission brain temperature was higher in ischemic regions (38.4°C) than normal brain (37.7°C).
- Higher levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen were associated with elevated temperature in normal brain and body temperature.
- Inflammatory markers correlated with admission ischemic brain temperature but not with later temperatures.
Conclusions:
- Systemic inflammation is linked to increased temperature in normal brain and body, but not in the later stages of ischemic brain tissue.
- Elevated brain temperature, potentially driven by inflammation, may contribute to poorer outcomes in stroke patients with high inflammatory marker levels.
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