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MR Vascular Fingerprinting in Stroke and Brain Tumors Models
B Lemasson1,2, N Pannetier3,4, N Coquery1,2
1Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, GIN, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
Scientific Reports
|November 25, 2016
Summary
MRI vascular fingerprinting (MRvF) accurately maps brain microvasculature and oxygenation in rats. This technique distinguishes healthy from diseased tissues in stroke and tumor models, offering potential for improved brain disease diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Neuroimaging
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Assessing brain microvascular architecture and function is crucial for diagnosing and managing neurological diseases.
- Conventional MRI techniques often provide limited or indirect information about microvascular properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a novel MRI fingerprinting (MRvF) approach for simultaneous high-resolution mapping of microvascular architecture and blood oxygenation.
- To assess the efficacy of MRvF in distinguishing between healthy and pathological brain tissues in various disease models.
Main Methods:
- MR vascular fingerprinting (MRvF) was applied to 115 rats across three models: brain tumors (9L, C6, F98), permanent stroke, and healthy controls.
- Numerical representation of the vascular network was altered to explore potential improvements in MRvF results.
- MRvF findings were compared with conventional MRI approaches, including quantitative BOLD.
Main Results:
- MRvF successfully differentiated healthy brain tissue from tumor and stroke models.
- Distinct vascular signatures were observed for different glioma models (C6/F98 vs. 9L).
- Good agreement was found between MRvF and conventional MRI in healthy tissues and most disease models, with discrepancies noted in the 9L glioma model's oxygenation measurements.
Conclusions:
- MR vascular fingerprinting is a promising in vivo technique for characterizing microvascular properties.
- Potential technical improvements exist that could enhance diagnostic capabilities for brain diseases.
- MRvF offers a valuable tool for studying microvascular changes in neurological conditions.
