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Updated: May 10, 2026
Simultaneous PET/MRI Imaging During Mouse Cerebral Hypoxia-ischemia
Published on: September 20, 2015
Detection of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury with 3D-enhanced T2* weighted angiography (ESWAN) imaging
QiangQiang Gang1, Jianing Zhang, Peng Hao
1Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510000, China.
Objective:
To demonstrate the use of 3D-enhanced T2* weighted angiography (ESWAN) imaging for the observation and quantification of the evolution of brain injury induced by a recently developed model of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HI/R) in neonatal piglets.
Methods:
For these experiments, newborn piglets were subjected to HI/R injury, during which ESWAN scanning was performed, followed by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry of AQP-4 expression.
Results:
In the striatum, values from T2* weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increased and reached their highest level at 3 days post injury, whereas T2* values increased and peaked at 24h in the subcortical region. The change in T2* values was concordant with brain edema. Phase values in the subcortical border region were not dependent on time post-injury. Magnitude values were significantly different from the control group, and increased gradually over time in the subcortical border region. Susceptibility-weighted images (SWI) indicated small petechial hemorrhages in the striatum and thalamus, as well as dilated intramedullary veins.
Conclusion:
SWI images can be used to detect white and gray matter microhemorrhages and dilated intramedullary veins. The T2*, phase, and magnitude map can also reflect the development of brain injury. Our data illustrate that ESWAN imaging can increase the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of MRI in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
