title: Mapping hypercapnia-induced cerebrovascular reactivity using BOLD MRI.
abstract: Severe carotid artery stenosis or occlusion may put patients at risk for ischaemic stroke. Reduced cerebrovascular reserve capacity is a possible indicator of an imminent ischaemic event and can be determined by assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity to a vasodilative stimulus. However, little is known about the distribution of cerebrovascular reactivity in healthy individuals. In 13 healthy volunteers, dynamic T2* MR images, acquired at alternating inspiratory pCO2 levels, showed a high percentage of signal change in grey matter, with a strong linear correlation with end-tidal pCO2. The mean percentages of signal change for grey and white matter were 5.9 +/- 1.2% and 1.9 +/- 0.5%, respectively. The mean time lag between CO2 stimulus and haemodynamic response was 15 +/- 4 s for grey matter and 180 +/- 12 s for white matter. Parameter mapping revealed a hemispherically symmetrical and homogeneous distribution of cerebrovascular reactivity over the entire grey matter. These findings indicate that it may be feasible to detect exhausted cerebrovascular autoregulation in patients with a compromised cerebral vasculature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Hospital, P.O. Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F H R
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: van der Zande
authors.forename: P A M
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Backes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D019296:Capnography; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*