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Vikner T, Johnson KM, Cadman RV, Betthauser TJ, Wilson RE, Chin N, Eisenmenger LB, Johnson SC, Rivera-Rivera LA. CSF dynamics throughout the ventricular system using 4D flow MRI: associations to arterial pulsatility, ventricular volumes, and age. Fluids Barriers CNS 2024; 21:68. [PMID: 39215377 PMCID: PMC11363656 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-024-00570-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics are increasingly studied in aging and neurological disorders. Models of CSF-mediated waste clearance suggest that altered CSF dynamics could play a role in the accumulation of toxic waste in the CNS, with implications for Alzheimer's disease and other proteinopathies. Therefore, approaches that enable quantitative and volumetric assessment of CSF flow velocities could be of value. In this study we demonstrate the feasibility of 4D flow MRI for simultaneous assessment of CSF dynamics throughout the ventricular system, and evaluate associations to arterial pulsatility, ventricular volumes, and age. METHODS In a cognitively unimpaired cohort (N = 43; age 41-83 years), cardiac-resolved 4D flow MRI CSF velocities were obtained in the lateral ventricles (LV), foramens of Monro, third and fourth ventricles (V3 and V4), the cerebral aqueduct (CA) and the spinal canal (SC), using a velocity encoding (venc) of 5 cm/s. Cerebral blood flow pulsatility was also assessed with 4D flow (venc = 80 cm/s), and CSF volumes were obtained from T1- and T2-weighted MRI. Multiple linear regression was used to assess effects of age, ventricular volumes, and arterial pulsatility on CSF velocities. RESULTS Cardiac-driven CSF dynamics were observed in all CSF spaces, with region-averaged velocity range and root-mean-square (RMS) velocity encompassing from very low in the LVs (RMS 0.25 ± 0.08; range 0.85 ± 0.28 mm/s) to relatively high in the CA (RMS 6.29 ± 2.87; range 18.6 ± 15.2 mm/s). In the regression models, CSF velocity was significantly related to age in 5/6 regions, to CSF space volume in 2/3 regions, and to arterial pulsatility in 3/6 regions. Group-averaged waveforms indicated distinct CSF flow propagation delays throughout CSF spaces, particularly between the SC and LVs. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that 4D flow MRI enables assessment of CSF dynamics throughout the ventricular system, and captures independent effects of age, CSF space morphology, and arterial pulsatility on CSF motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Vikner
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Umeå, S-90187, Sweden
| | - Kevin M Johnson
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Robert V Cadman
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Tobey J Betthauser
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Rachael E Wilson
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Nathaniel Chin
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Laura B Eisenmenger
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Sterling C Johnson
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Leonardo A Rivera-Rivera
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
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Rivera-Rivera LA, Roberts GS, Peret A, Langhough RE, Jonaitis EM, Du L, Field A, Eisenmenger L, Johnson SC, Johnson KM. Unraveling diurnal and technical variability in cerebral hemodynamics from neurovascular 4D-Flow MRI. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2024; 44:1362-1375. [PMID: 38340787 PMCID: PMC11342721 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x241232190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Neurovascular 4D-Flow MRI enables non-invasive evaluation of cerebral hemodynamics including measures of cerebral blood flow (CBF), vessel pulsatility index (PI), and cerebral pulse wave velocity (PWV). 4D-Flow measures have been linked to various neurovascular disorders including small vessel disease and Alzheimer's disease; however, physiological and technical sources of variability are not well established. Here, we characterized sources of diurnal physiological and technical variability in cerebral hemodynamics using 4D-Flow in a retrospective study of cognitively unimpaired older adults (N = 750) and a prospective study of younger adults (N = 10). Younger participants underwent repeated MRI sessions at 7am, 4 pm, and 10 pm. In the older cohort, having an MRI earlier on the day was significantly associated with higher CBF and lower PI. In prospective experiments, time of day significantly explained variability in CBF and PI; however, not in PWV. Test-retest experiments showed high CBF intra-session repeatability (repeatability coefficient (RPC) =7.2%), compared to lower diurnal repeatability (RPC = 40%). PI and PWV displayed similar intra-session and diurnal variability (PI intra-session RPC = 22%, RPC = 24% 7am vs 4 pm; PWV intra-session RPC = 17%, RPC = 21% 7am vs 4 pm). Overall, CBF measures showed low technical variability, supporting diurnal variability is from physiology. PI and PWV showed higher technical variability but less diurnal variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo A Rivera-Rivera
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Grant S Roberts
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Anthony Peret
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Rebecca E Langhough
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Erin M Jonaitis
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lianlian Du
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Aaron Field
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Laura Eisenmenger
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sterling C Johnson
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kevin M Johnson
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
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Rivera-Rivera LA, Vikner T, Eisenmenger L, Johnson SC, Johnson KM. Four-dimensional flow MRI for quantitative assessment of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics: Status and opportunities. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 37:e5082. [PMID: 38124351 PMCID: PMC11162953 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Neurological disorders can manifest with altered neurofluid dynamics in different compartments of the central nervous system. These include alterations in cerebral blood flow, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow, and tissue biomechanics. Noninvasive quantitative assessment of neurofluid flow and tissue motion is feasible with phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC MRI). While two-dimensional (2D) PC MRI is routinely utilized in research and clinical settings to assess flow dynamics through a single imaging slice, comprehensive neurofluid dynamic assessment can be limited or impractical. Recently, four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI (or time-resolved three-dimensional PC with three-directional velocity encoding) has emerged as a powerful extension of 2D PC, allowing for large volumetric coverage of fluid velocities at high spatiotemporal resolution within clinically reasonable scan times. Yet, most 4D flow studies have focused on blood flow imaging. Characterizing CSF flow dynamics with 4D flow (i.e., 4D CSF flow) is of high interest to understand normal brain and spine physiology, but also to study neurological disorders such as dysfunctional brain metabolite waste clearance, where CSF dynamics appear to play an important role. However, 4D CSF flow imaging is challenged by the long T1 time of CSF and slower velocities compared with blood flow, which can result in longer scan times from low flip angles and extended motion-sensitive gradients, hindering clinical adoption. In this work, we review the state of 4D CSF flow MRI including challenges, novel solutions from current research and ongoing needs, examples of clinical and research applications, and discuss an outlook on the future of 4D CSF flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo A Rivera-Rivera
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Tomas Vikner
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Radiation Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Laura Eisenmenger
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sterling C Johnson
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kevin M Johnson
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
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Winter P, Berhane H, Moore JE, Aristova M, Reichl T, Wollenberg J, Richter A, Jarvis KB, Patel A, Caprio FZ, Abdalla RN, Ansari SA, Markl M, Schnell S. Automated intracranial vessel segmentation of 4D flow MRI data in patients with atherosclerotic stenosis using a convolutional neural network. FRONTIERS IN RADIOLOGY 2024; 4:1385424. [PMID: 38895589 PMCID: PMC11183785 DOI: 10.3389/fradi.2024.1385424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Intracranial 4D flow MRI enables quantitative assessment of hemodynamics in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). However, quantitative assessments are still challenging due to the time-consuming vessel segmentation, especially in the presence of stenoses, which can often result in user variability. To improve the reproducibility and robustness as well as to accelerate data analysis, we developed an accurate, fully automated segmentation for stenosed intracranial vessels using deep learning. Methods 154 dual-VENC 4D flow MRI scans (68 ICAD patients with stenosis, 86 healthy controls) were retrospectively selected. Manual segmentations were used as ground truth for training. For automated segmentation, deep learning was performed using a 3D U-Net. 20 randomly selected cases (10 controls, 10 patients) were separated and solely used for testing. Cross-sectional areas and flow parameters were determined in the Circle of Willis (CoW) and the sinuses. Furthermore, the flow conservation error was calculated. For statistical comparisons, Dice scores (DS), Hausdorff distance (HD), average symmetrical surface distance (ASSD), Bland-Altman analyses, and interclass correlations were computed using the manual segmentations from two independent observers as reference. Finally, three stenosis cases were analyzed in more detail by comparing the 4D flow-based segmentations with segmentations from black blood vessel wall imaging (VWI). Results Training of the network took approximately 10 h and the average automated segmentation time was 2.2 ± 1.0 s. No significant differences in segmentation performance relative to two independent observers were observed. For the controls, mean DS was 0.85 ± 0.03 for the CoW and 0.86 ± 0.06 for the sinuses. Mean HD was 7.2 ± 1.5 mm (CoW) and 6.6 ± 3.7 mm (sinuses). Mean ASSD was 0.15 ± 0.04 mm (CoW) and 0.22 ± 0.17 mm (sinuses). For the patients, the mean DS was 0.85 ± 0.04 (CoW) and 0.82 ± 0.07 (sinuses), the HD was 8.4 ± 3.1 mm (CoW) and 5.7 ± 1.9 mm (sinuses) and the mean ASSD was 0.22 ± 0.10 mm (CoW) and 0.22 ± 0.11 mm (sinuses). Small bias and limits of agreement were observed in both cohorts for the flow parameters. The assessment of the cross-sectional lumen areas in stenosed vessels revealed very good agreement (ICC: 0.93) with the VWI segmentation but a consistent overestimation (bias ± LOA: 28.1 ± 13.9%). Discussion Deep learning was successfully applied for fully automated segmentation of stenosed intracranial vasculatures using 4D flow MRI data. The statistical analysis of segmentation and flow metrics demonstrated very good agreement between the CNN and manual segmentation and good performance in stenosed vessels. To further improve the performance and generalization, more ICAD segmentations as well as other intracranial vascular pathologies will be considered in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Winter
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Haben Berhane
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jackson E. Moore
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Maria Aristova
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicacgo, IL, United States
| | - Teresa Reichl
- Department of Experimental Physics V, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Julian Wollenberg
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Adam Richter
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kelly B. Jarvis
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Abhinav Patel
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Fan Z. Caprio
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicacgo, IL, United States
| | - Ramez N. Abdalla
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sameer A. Ansari
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicacgo, IL, United States
| | - Michael Markl
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Susanne Schnell
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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5
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Dempsey S, Safaei S, Holdsworth SJ, Maso Talou GD. Measuring global cerebrovascular pulsatility transmission using 4D flow MRI. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12604. [PMID: 38824230 PMCID: PMC11144255 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63312-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Pulse wave encephalopathy (PWE) is hypothesised to initiate many forms of dementia, motivating its identification and risk assessment. As candidate pulsatility based biomarkers for PWE, pulsatility index and pulsatility damping have been studied and, currently, do not adequately stratify risk due to variability in pulsatility and spatial bias. Here, we propose a locus-independent pulsatility transmission coefficient computed by spatially tracking pulsatility along vessels to characterise the brain pulse dynamics at a whole-organ level. Our preliminary analyses in a cohort of 20 subjects indicate that this measurement agrees with clinical observations relating blood pulsatility with age, heart rate, and sex, making it a suitable candidate to study the risk of PWE. We identified transmission differences between vascular regions perfused by the basilar and internal carotid arteries attributed to the identified dependence on cerebral blood flow, and some participants presented differences between the internal carotid perfused regions that were not related to flow or pulsatility burden, suggesting underlying mechanical differences. Large populational studies would benefit from retrospective pulsatility transmission analyses, providing a new comprehensive arterial description of the hemodynamic state in the brain. We provide a publicly available implementation of our tools to derive this coefficient, built into pre-existing open-source software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Dempsey
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Level 6, 70 Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.
| | - Soroush Safaei
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Level 6, 70 Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Samantha J Holdsworth
- Mātai Medical Research Institute, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging - Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences & Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gonzalo D Maso Talou
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Level 6, 70 Symonds Street, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
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Wieben O, Roberts GS, Corrado PA, Johnson KM, Roldán-Alzate A. Four-Dimensional Flow MR Imaging: Technique and Advances. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 2023; 31:433-449. [PMID: 37414470 DOI: 10.1016/j.mric.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
4D Flow MRI is an advanced imaging technique for comprehensive non-invasive assessment of the cardiovascular system. The capture of the blood velocity vector field throughout the cardiac cycle enables measures of flow, pulse wave velocity, kinetic energy, wall shear stress, and more. Advances in hardware, MRI data acquisition and reconstruction methodology allow for clinically feasible scan times. The availability of 4D Flow analysis packages allows for more widespread use in research and the clinic and will facilitate much needed multi-center, multi-vendor studies in order to establish consistency across scanner platforms and to enable larger scale studies to demonstrate clinical value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Wieben
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Suite 1127, Madison, WI 53705-2275, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Suite 1127, Madison, WI 53705-2275, USA.
| | - Grant S Roberts
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2275, USA
| | - Philip A Corrado
- Accuray Incorporated, 1414 Raleigh Road, Suite 330, DurhamChapel Hill, NC 27517, USA
| | - Kevin M Johnson
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Room 1133, Madison, WI 53705-2275, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Avenue, Room 1133, Madison, WI 53705-2275, USA
| | - Alejandro Roldán-Alzate
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Room: 3035, 1513 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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7
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Roberts GS, Peret A, Jonaitis EM, Koscik RL, Hoffman CA, Rivera-Rivera LA, Cody KA, Rowley HA, Johnson SC, Wieben O, Johnson KM, Eisenmenger LB. Normative Cerebral Hemodynamics in Middle-aged and Older Adults Using 4D Flow MRI: Initial Analysis of Vascular Aging. Radiology 2023; 307:e222685. [PMID: 36943077 PMCID: PMC10140641 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.222685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Background Characterizing cerebrovascular hemodynamics in older adults is important for identifying disease and understanding normal neurovascular aging. Four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI allows for a comprehensive assessment of cerebral hemodynamics in a single acquisition. Purpose To establish reference intracranial blood flow and pulsatility index values in a large cross-sectional sample of middle-aged (45-65 years) and older (>65 years) adults and characterize the effect of age and sex on blood flow and pulsatility. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, patients aged 45-93 years (cognitively unimpaired) underwent cranial 4D flow MRI between March 2010 and March 2020. Blood flow rates and pulsatility indexes from 13 major arteries and four venous sinuses and total cerebral blood flow were collected. Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility of flow and pulsatility measures was assessed in 30 patients. Descriptive statistics (mean ± SD) of blood flow and pulsatility were tabulated for the entire group and by age and sex. Multiple linear regression and linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the effect of age and sex on total cerebral blood flow and vessel-specific flow and pulsatility, respectively. Results There were 759 patients (mean age, 65 years ± 8 [SD]; 506 female patients) analyzed. For intra- and interobserver reproducibility, median intraclass correlation coefficients were greater than 0.90 for flow and pulsatility measures across all vessels. Regression coefficients β ± standard error from multiple linear regression showed a 4 mL/min decrease in total cerebral blood flow each year (age β = -3.94 mL/min per year ± 0.44; P < .001). Mixed effects showed a 1 mL/min average annual decrease in blood flow (age β = -0.95 mL/min per year ± 0.16; P < .001) and 0.01 arbitrary unit (au) average annual increase in pulsatility over all vessels (age β = 0.011 au per year ± 0.001; P < .001). No evidence of sex differences was observed for flow (β = -1.60 mL/min per male patient ± 1.77; P = .37), but pulsatility was higher in female patients (sex β = -0.018 au per male patient ± 0.008; P = .02). Conclusion Normal reference values for blood flow and pulsatility obtained using four-dimensional flow MRI showed correlations with age. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Steinman in this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant S. Roberts
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Anthony Peret
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Erin M. Jonaitis
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Rebecca L. Koscik
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Carson A. Hoffman
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Leonardo A. Rivera-Rivera
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Karly A. Cody
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Howard A. Rowley
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Sterling C. Johnson
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Oliver Wieben
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Kevin M. Johnson
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
| | - Laura B. Eisenmenger
- From the Department of Medical Physics (G.S.R., L.A.R.R., O.W.,
K.M.J.), Department of Radiology (A.P., C.A.H., H.A.R., O.W., K.M.J., L.B.E.),
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (E.M.J., R.L.K., S.C.J.), and Wisconsin
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (E.M.J., L.A.R.R., K.A.C., S.C.J.),
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave,
Madison, WI 53792-3252; and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center,
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wis (S.C.J.)
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