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Updated: May 13, 2026
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Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Rat Common Carotid Artery
Published on: September 5, 2018
Measuring pulsatile flow in cerebral arteries using 4D phase-contrast MR imaging
A Wåhlin1, K Ambarki, R Birgander
1Department of Radiation Sciences.
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|March 16, 2013
Summary
Four-dimensional phase-contrast MRI (4D PCMRI) accurately quantifies cerebral artery pulsatility compared to 2D PCMRI. Physiological variations, not the technique, caused most measurement differences.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular imaging
- Neuroimaging
- Medical physics
Background:
- Phase-contrast MRI (PCMRI) is used for hemodynamic assessment.
- 4D PCMRI offers volumetric quantification of pulsatile hemodynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare 4D PCMRI and 2D PCMRI for assessing pulsatile hemodynamics in major cerebral arteries.
- To evaluate the agreement between these two PCMRI techniques.
Main Methods:
- 10 subjects underwent both 4D and 2D PCMRI on a 3T system.
- Internal carotid, anterior cerebral, basilar, and middle cerebral arteries were scanned.
- Net flow and arterial pulsatility volume (ΔV) were assessed.
Main Results:
- High correlations were observed between 4D and 2D PCMRI for ΔV (r=0.86) and net flow (r=0.95).
- Correlations improved with stable heart rates (r=0.93 for ΔV, r=0.97 for net flow).
- Initial significant differences in net flow and ΔV were attenuated with stable heart rates.
Conclusions:
- 4D PCMRI is a powerful tool for measuring pulsatility in large cerebral arteries from a single acquisition.
- Physiological variations significantly impact hemodynamic measurements.
- Results from 4D PCMRI are consistent with 2D PCMRI.
