Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Author Spotlight: Noninvasive Cerebral Blood Flow Determination in Human Functional Brain Region for Diagnosis of Neurological Disorders
Published on: May 31, 2024
Noninvasive method for mapping CVR in moyamoya disease using ASL-MRI
Tomoyuki Noguchi1, Masatou Kawashima2, Masashi Nishihara3
1Department of Radiology, National center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan; Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1, Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan(1).
Arterial Spin Labeling Magnetic Resonance Imaging (ASL-MRI) shows promise as a noninvasive tool for mapping cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) in moyamoya disease (MMD). This method demonstrates equivalence to SPECT imaging, offering a valuable alternative for CVR assessment in MMD patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder characterized by progressive stenosis of the internal carotid arteries.
- Accurate assessment of cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) is crucial for managing MMD and predicting stroke risk.
- Current methods like SPECT imaging can be invasive or involve radiation exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of Arterial Spin Labeling Magnetic Resonance Imaging (ASL-MRI) as a noninvasive method for mapping CVR in patients with MMD.
- To compare the diagnostic performance of ASL-MRI with Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) in assessing CVR.
Main Methods:
- 16 MMD patients underwent standard ASL-MRI, pulse-wave-synchronized ASL-MRI (pulsy ASL-MRI), and SPECT imaging (iodine-123-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine) at rest and after acetazolamide challenge.
- Cerebral blood flow (CBF) values were quantified using both ASL-MRI and SPECT.
- Cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) was calculated from both imaging modalities (IMP-CVR from SPECT, ASL-CVR from ASL-MRI) and their correlation was assessed.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between rest-SPECT (rest-IMP) and pulsy ASL-MRI values (r=0.557, p<0.01).
- A strong significant correlation was observed between acetazolamide-challenged SPECT (ACZ-IMP) and standard ASL-MRI values (r=0.825, p<0.01).
- A significant correlation was also found between the calculated CVR values from both methods (IMP-CVR and ASL-CVR) (r=0.736, p<0.01).
Conclusions:
- ASL-MRI is a viable noninvasive alternative to SPECT for evaluating CVR in moyamoya disease.
- ASL-MRI can accurately map CVR in MMD, providing comparable results to SPECT.
- This noninvasive approach may improve the diagnostic and management strategies for MMD patients.
