title: MRI with intrathecal MRI gadolinium contrast medium administration: a possible method to assess glymphatic function in human brain.
abstract: Recently, the "glymphatic system" of the brain has been discovered in rodents, which is a paravascular, transparenchymal route for clearance of excess brain metabolites and distribution of compounds in the cerebrospinal fluid. It has already been demonstrated that intrathecally administered gadolinium (Gd) contrast medium distributes along this route in rats, but so far not in humans. A 27-year-old woman underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with intrathecal administration of gadobutrol, which distributed throughout her entire brain after 1 and 4.5 h. MRI with intrathecal Gd may become a tool to study glymphatic function in the human brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway ; Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Per Kristian
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Eide
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Geir
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ringstad
keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); brain; contrast medium; glymphatic circulation; intrathecal; paravascular transport