Quantifying the Cerebral Hemodynamic Changes in Hypertensive Patients Using 3D Pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Cerebrovascular Medicine
• Hypertension Research

Background:

• Hypertension is a major risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases.
• Early detection of hemodynamic changes in hypertensive patients is crucial for timely intervention.
• Conventional methods may not be sensitive enough to detect subtle hemodynamic alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cerebral hemodynamic changes in hypertensive patients using 3D pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (3D pCASL).
• To compare regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) between hypertensive patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-eight hypertensive subjects and 34 healthy volunteers underwent 3D whole-brain pCASL MRI.
• Regional CBF values were calculated using SPM8 and manually delineated.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare CBF between groups.

Main Results:

• Hypertensive patients exhibited significantly lower CBF in multiple brain regions, including the centrum semiovale, periventricular white matter, frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes, cerebellum, and gray matter.
• Specific regions like the thalami, globus pallidus, putamen, and genu of corpus callosum showed no significant CBF difference.
• Statistical significance (P<0.05) was observed in numerous areas, highlighting widespread hemodynamic alterations.

Conclusions:

• 3D pCASL is effective in detecting subtle hemodynamic abnormalities in early-stage hypertension.
• Reduced CBF in specific brain regions of hypertensive patients may signify an elevated risk of cerebral small vessel diseases.
• This imaging technique aids in understanding the early cerebrovascular impact of hypertension.