title: Oscillatory motion of the normal cervical spinal cord.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the normal pattern of cervical spinal cord motion with measurement of cervical spinal cord velocity by means of phase-contrast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spinal cord velocity was measured in 11 healthy subjects with a modified gradient-echo pulse sequence on a conventional 1.5-T MR imaging system that generated phase images sensitive to slow motion. Prospective electrocardiogram gating was used to assess velocity as a function of the cardiac cycle. The accuracy of velocity measurements was estimated with images of a phantom moving at constant velocity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cervical spinal cord moves with an oscillatory pattern in the craniocaudal direction. The maximum velocity (7.0 mm/sec +/- 1.4 [standard deviation]) in the caudal direction occurred approximately 109 msec +/- 20 after electrical cardiac systole. The maximum velocities in subsequent oscillations decreased toward zero before the next cardiac systole.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cervical spinal cord oscillates in a craniocaudal direction after each cardiac systole.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Toronto Hospital-Western Division, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mikulis
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Zerdoner
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Poncelet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*