Cerebrospinal fluid dynamics and relation with blood flow: a magnetic resonance study with semiautomated cerebrospinal fluid segmentation.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate and measure temporal and amplitude aspects of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow waveform relations.


METHODS
A cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence was used to measure blood and CSF flow in 16 healthy subjects aged 27 +/- 4 years. A semiautomated segmentation algorithm was developed to study CSF flow.


RESULTS
Standard deviations of the aqueductal and cervical flow measurements carried out by five observers were 1% and 4%, respectively. The peak systolic arterial flow was 1087 +/- 169 mL/min, and the peak cervical CSF flush (173 +/- 59 mL/min) occurred at 5% +/- 3% of the cardiac cycle after the internal carotid systolic peak flow. Peak aqueductal flush flow (13 +/- 5 mL/min) occurred at 21% +/- 7% of the cardiac cycle after the internal carotid systolic peak flow.


CONCLUSIONS
The CSF segmentation algorithm is reproducible. Brain expansion was quickly regulated by a major extracerebral CSF flush flow, whereas ventricular CSF made only a very small contribution.
Balédent
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Service de biophysique et traitement de l'image médicale, UMR 6600 CNRS, CHU Amiens, Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.
Henry-Feugeas
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Idy-Peretti
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted