Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
-
Comparative Study Observational Study
Correction for Susceptibility Distortions Increases the Performance of Arterial Spin Labeling in Patients with Cerebrovascular Disease.
Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is an MRI technique to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) without the need of exogenous contrast agents and is thus a promising alternative to the clinical standard dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced (DSC) perfusion imaging. Latest international guidelines encourage its application in the clinical setting. However, susceptibility-induced image distortions impair ASL with fast readout modules (eg Echo Planar Imaging, EPI; gradient and spin echo, GRASE). In the present study, we investigated the benefit of a distortion correction for ASL compared to DSC. ⋯ We showed that susceptibility distortion correction strongly improves the comparability of multi-TI ASL 3D-GRASE to DSC in steno-occlusive disease. We suggest it to be implemented in ASL postprocessing routines.
-
Several studies have found supplemental venous drainage channels in addition to bilateral internal jugular veins for cerebral venous efflux. We performed this study to characterize the supplemental venous outflow patterns in a consecutive series of patients undergoing detailed cerebral angiography with venous phase imaging. ⋯ We provide an assessment of patterns and rates of supplementary venous drainage to internal jugular veins to improve our understanding of anatomical and physiological aspects of cerebral venous drainage.
-
To evaluate whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients with and without executive functions deficits and healthy control subjects differ on cortical thickness and subcortical brain structures volume in vivo. ⋯ HIV-positive patients with executive functions deficits have reduced volumes of several subcortical structures, primarily in the caudate nucleus.
-
Pulsatility index (PI) of the middle cerebral artery is postulated to reflect the vascular resistance in the artery distal of the probe, and has been reported to increase in small vessel disease, diabetes mellitus, ageing, and dementia. Lacunar infarcts are considered to be related to cognitive impairment. We therefore conducted a study to assess the association between cognitive impairment and PI in patients with a lacunar infarct. ⋯ PI was associated with the cognitive performance in patients with lacunar infarcts and a lacunar syndrome. An elevated PI may be related to impairment in several cognitive domains. These findings suggest that transcranial Doppler ultrasonography could be an adjunct tool for early diagnosis of cognitive impairment after stroke.
-
Comparative Study
Etiology of Intracranial Arterial Stenosis: Are Transcranial Color-Coded Duplex Ultrasound and 3T Black Blood MR Imaging Complementary?
In order to differentiate between the different causes of intracranial stenosis, we compared the diagnostic results of transcranial color-coded duplex (TCCD) sonography with the recently developed 3D high-resolution black blood MR sequence. ⋯ These two combined imaging techniques might be promising for the differentiation of arteriosclerotic changes from stenosis of another origin, especially when follow-up TCCD studies are completed early before a possible regression of the atherosclerotic plaque that might be observed 6 months after initial diagnosis.