Sex moderations in the relationship between aortic stiffness, cognition, and cerebrovascular reactivity in healthy older adults

It is well established that sex differences exist in the manifestation of vascular diseases. Arterial stiffness (AS) has been associated with changes in cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and cognitive decline in aging. Specifically, older adults with increased AS show a decline on executive function (EF) tasks. Interestingly, the relationship between AS and CVR is more complex, where some studies show decreased CVR with increased AS, and others demonstrate preserved CVR despite higher AS. Here, we investigated the possible role of sex on these hemodynamic relationships. Acquisitions were completed in 48 older adults. Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) data were collected during a hypercapnia challenge. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) data was acquired using cine phase contrast velocity series. Cognitive function was assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and a composite score for EF was calculated using four cognitive tests from the neuropsychological battery. A moderation model test revealed that sex moderated the relationship between PWV and CVR and PWV and EF, but not between CVR and EF. Together, our results indicate that the relationships between central stiffness, cerebral hemodynamics and cognition are in part mediated by sex.

Boundary conditions investigation to improve computer simulation of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in hydrocephalus patients

Three-D head geometrical models of eight healthy subjects and 11 hydrocephalus patients were built using their CINE phase-contrast MRI data and used for computer simulations under three different inlet/outlet boundary conditions (BCs). The maximum cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and the ventricular system volume were more effective and accurate than the other parameters in evaluating the patients’ conditions. In constant CSF pressure, the computational patient models were 18.5% more sensitive to CSF volume changes in the ventricular system under BC “C”. Pulsatile CSF flow rate diagrams were used for inlet and outlet BCs of BC “C”. BC “C” was suggested to evaluate the intracranial compliance of the hydrocephalus patients. The results suggested using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method and the fully coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) method for the CSF dynamic analysis in patients with external and internal hydrocephalus, respectively.

Phase-Contrast MRI Indices can Reflect Intracranial Compliance Deterioration Induced by Intra-Abdominal/ Thoracic Hypertension

BackgroundIdentifying elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) and decreased intracranial compliance (ICC) is imperative for optimizing patient management in neurocritical care settings. Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and intrathoracic hypertension (ITH) is common in trauma patients, which affects homeostasis of ICP/ICC. Knowledge of this effects is little and monitoring this effect is difficult. In the current study, we examined whether the indices generated from 2D cine phase contrast MRI (2D cine PC-MRI) could reflect ICC/ICP alterations induced by elevated IAH/ITH during VM.MethodsA total of 50 healthy young volunteers participated in this study (male: female = 24:26), and took a 2D cine PC-MRI during normal breath and VM respectively. Cross-section area (CSA) of dominant IJV and ipsilateral ICA, the maximum blood flow (Fmax), minimum blood flow (Fmin), mean blood flow (MBF), pulsatility index (PI), arteriovenous delay (AVD) and time to peak of arterial pulse (TTP) were gauged from images or calculated from the blood flow curves generated from 2D cine PC-MRI. ResultsDuring VM state, in comparison to NB, CSAIJV increased significantly (p<0.0001), indicating an elevation of cerebral venous outflow resistance; Fmax_ICA, Fmax_IJV, Fmean_ICA and Fmean_IJV decreased significantly (p<0.0001, p<0.0001, p<0.001, p<0.0001, respectively); PI_ICA and PI_IJV decreased significantly (p<0.0001, p<0.0001); both absolute and normalized AVD decreased significantly (p<0.0001, p<0.0001), while absolute and normalized TTP increased significantly (p=0.0329, p=0.0376).Conclusions Indices generated from 2D cine PC-MRI, especially AVD and TTP, can reveal the ICC/ICP dynamics induced by elevated IAP/ITP. These indices have potential clinical application in ICC/ICP monitoring in patients who was speculated with an IAH or ITH.

Fold-Over Oversampling Effects in the Measurements of Cerebral Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood Flows with 2D Cine Phase-Contrast MRI

This prospective study investigated the effects of fold-over oversampling on phase-offset background errors with 2D-Cine phase contrast (Cine-PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It was performed on brain MRI and compared to conventional Full-field of view FOV coverage and it was tested with two different velocity encoding (Venc) values. We chose Venc = 100 mm/s to encode cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows in the aqueduct and 600 mm/s to encode blood flow in the carotid artery. Cine-PC was carried out on 10 healthy adult volunteers followed simultaneously by an acquisition on static agar-gel phantom to measure the phase-offset background errors. Pixel-wise correction of both the CSF and the blood flows was calculated through 32 points of the cardiac-cycle. We compared the velocity-to-noise ratio, the section area, the absolute and the corrected velocity (peak; mean and minimum), the net flow, and the stroke volume before and after correction. We performed the statistical T-test to compare Full-FOV and fold-over and Bland–Altman plots to analyze their differences. Our results showed that following phase-offset error correction, the blood stroke-volume was significantly higher with Full-FOV compared to fold-over. We observed a significantly higher CSF mean velocity and net flow values in the fold-over option. Compared to Full-FOV, fold-over provides a significantly larger section area and significantly lower peak velocity-offset in the aqueduct. No significant difference between the two coverages was reported before and after phase-offset in blood flow measurements. In conclusion, fold-over oversampling can be chosen as an alternative to increase spatial resolution and accurate cerebral flow quantification in Cine-PC.