Quantification of Macrocirculation and Microcirculation in Brain Using Ultrasound Perfusion Imaging

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Neuroscience
• Ultrasound Technology

Background:

• Cerebral blood flow (CBF) monitoring is crucial in neurocritical care.
• Simultaneous visualization of macro- and microcirculation is challenging.
• Ultrasound perfusion imaging (UPI) offers a potential solution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of simultaneous cerebral macro- and microcirculation visualization using UPI.
• To evaluate UPI's sensitivity in detecting changes in CBF.
• To determine the safety profile of UPI.

Main Methods:

• Observational study in 10 healthy volunteers.
• UPI measurements during normoventilation and hyperventilation using ultrasound contrast.
• In-house algorithm for data analysis, including DICOM visualization, parameter image calculation, ROI selection, and time-intensity curve (TIC) extraction.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in perfusion parameters between macrocirculation and parenchymal areas.
• UPI detected hyperventilation-induced CBF decreases in both macro- and microcirculation.
• The UPI method demonstrated a favorable safety profile with no adverse effects.

Conclusions:

• Bedside quantification of CBF using UPI appears feasible.
• The technique has a good safety profile.
• Further validation studies are needed to enhance diagnostic accuracy and determine UPI's value in neurocritical care.