Phase-Contrast Cine Mr Imaging of Normal Aqueductal CSF Flow

Cine phase-contrast MR imaging was used to study pulsatile CSF flow in the aqueduct in 11 young controls (mean age 30 years) and 9 old controls (mean age 69 years). A high-resolution gradient echo technique and an oblique imaging plane, perpendicular to the aqueduct, was used to avoid volume averaging. Phantom studies confirmed that the technique was accurate. Aqueductal velocity and flux in old controls was higher than in young controls, but the differences were not significant. For all controls together, the averaged peak velocity was 4.2 ± 1.5 cm/s in rostral and −7.8 ± 4.9 cm/s in caudal direction; for the flux it was 0.16 ± 0.10 cm3/s in rostral and −0.29 ± 0.19 cm3/s in caudal direction. Phase-contrast measurements were significantly related to flow-void on modulus MR images, but not with ventricular size or cortical atrophy. The present technique avoids underestimation of aqueductal flow, and therefore reveals higher aqueductal velocity and flux values than previous studies. Factors other than age or atrophy seem to determine aqueductal CSF flow.

[1]  N J Pelc,et al.  Normal flow patterns of intracranial and spinal cerebrospinal fluid defined with phase-contrast cine MR imaging. , 1991, Radiology.

[2]  A. van Rossum,et al.  Carbon-fiber electrodes and leads for electrocardiography during MR imaging. , 1989, Radiology.

[3]  G. Flyger,et al.  Normal variations in the caliber of the human cerebral aqueduct , 1957, The Anatomical record.

[4]  Fast multiphase MR imaging of aqueductal CSF flow: 1. Study of healthy subjects. , 1990, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[5]  G. H. du Boulay,et al.  Pulsatile movements in the CSF pathways. , 1966 .

[6]  C. Citrin,et al.  Magnetic resonance demonstration of normal CSF flow. , 1986, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[7]  D N Firmin,et al.  Blood flow imaging by cine magnetic resonance. , 1986, Journal of computer assisted tomography.

[8]  H. Petit,et al.  [Alzheimer's disease. Statistical analysis of CT scanner data]. , 1989, Revue neurologique.

[9]  C Thomsen,et al.  Fourier analysis of cerebrospinal fluid flow velocities: MR imaging study. The Scandinavian Flow Group. , 1990, Radiology.

[10]  D N Firmin,et al.  The application of phase shifts in NMR for flow measurement , 1990, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[11]  Bo Nordell,et al.  Cardiac Gated MR Imaging of Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow , 1985, Journal of computer assisted tomography.

[12]  W. Bradley,et al.  Flowing cerebrospinal fluid in normal and hydrocephalic states: appearance on MR images. , 1986, Radiology.

[13]  M. Mascalchi,et al.  Cardiac-gated phase MR imaging of aqueductal CSF flow. , 1988, Journal of computer assisted tomography.

[14]  O Henriksen,et al.  Circadian variation in human cerebrospinal fluid production measured by magnetic resonance imaging. , 1992, The American journal of physiology.

[15]  G. du Boulay,et al.  Pulsatile movements in the CSF pathways. , 1966, The British journal of radiology.

[16]  R R Edelman,et al.  Multiphasic MR imaging: a new method for direct imaging of pulsatile CSF flow. , 1986, Radiology.

[17]  U. Klose,et al.  II. Physiology of respiration-related pulsations , 1992 .

[18]  W G Bradley,et al.  Marked cerebrospinal fluid void: indicator of successful shunt in patients with suspected normal-pressure hydrocephalus. , 1991, Radiology.

[19]  W G Bradley,et al.  Flow dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid: assessment with phase-contrast velocity MR imaging performed with retrospective cardiac gating. , 1992, Radiology.