title: MR Elastography Demonstrates Increased Brain Stiffness in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a reversible neurologic disorder characterized by a triad of cognitive impairment, gait abnormality, and urinary incontinence that is commonly treated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. However, multiple overlapping symptoms often make it difficult to differentiate normal pressure hydrocephalus from other types of dementia, and improved diagnostic techniques would help patient management. MR elastography is a novel diagnostic tool that could potentially identify patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus. The purpose of this study was to assess brain stiffness changes in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus compared with age- and sex-matched cognitively healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  MR elastography was performed on 10 patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus and 21 age- and sex-matched volunteers with no known neurologic disorders. Image acquisition was conducted on a 3T MR imaging scanner. Shear waves with 60-Hz vibration frequency were transmitted into the brain by a pillowlike passive driver. A novel postprocessing technique resistant to noise and edge artifacts was implemented to determine regional brain stiffness. The Wilcoxon rank sum test and linear regression were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase in stiffness was observed in the cerebrum (P = .001), occipital lobe (P < .001), parietal lobe (P = .001), and the temporal lobe (P = .02) in the normal pressure hydrocephalus group compared with healthy controls. However, no significant difference was noted in other regions of the brain, including the frontal lobe (P = .07), deep gray and white matter (P = .43), or cerebellum (P = .20).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates increased brain stiffness in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls; these findings should motivate future studies investigating the use of MR elastography for this condition and the efficacy of shunt therapy.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: N
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3995-3920
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fattahi
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6607-8781
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arani
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0231-7346
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: F
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4310-7962
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9411-5671
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manduca
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: K
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7464-5042
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: M L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9308-9275
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Senjem
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: R L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7041-5074
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ehman
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. jhuston@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0584-9460
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006850:Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged