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Cerebrospinal fluid flow measured by phase-contrast cine MR
1Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305-5105.
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|November 1, 1993
Summary
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow timing in the cervical subarachnoid space (SAS) closely matches brain blood flow differences. Aqueduct CSF flow is slightly delayed compared to SAS flow in healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Understanding cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics is crucial for neurological health.
- Phase-contrast cine MR imaging offers a non-invasive method to visualize and quantify fluid motion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the temporal and quantitative relationship between blood flow and CSF flow.
- To investigate the characteristics of CSF flow in the cervical subarachnoid space (SAS) and aqueduct using phase-contrast cine MR.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study utilizing a cine phase-contrast MR pulse sequence with peripheral gating.
- Continuous data acquisition interpolated into 16 images per cardiac cycle to measure CSF flow velocity and direction.
Main Results:
- Systolic CSF flow in the cervical SAS strongly correlated with the brain arteriovenous blood flow difference, indicating brain expansion.
- Aqueduct CSF flow showed a delay in systolic timing compared to cervical SAS flow.
- Normal aqueductal oscillatory flow volume was measured at 1.7 ± 0.4 mL/min, representing 14.5% ± 3.1% of total CSF flow.
Conclusions:
- CSF flow can be accurately measured using phase-contrast cine MR.
- Healthy subjects exhibit relatively low oscillatory flow through the aqueduct, which is slightly out of phase (delayed) with SAS CSF flow.