3-VESSEL STUDY OF CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW USING PHASE-CONTRAST MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING - EFFECT OF PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The development of phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (P-C MRI) provides a noninvasive method for measurement of volumetric blood flo w (VFR), We performed P-C MRI to study the effects of physical charact eristics on cerebral blood flow, VFR of the left and right internal ca rotid arteries and basilar artery were measured using P-C MRI and tota l cerebral blood flow (tCBF) was calculated by summing up the VFR valu es in the three vessels, Moreover, we investigated the changes in thes e blood flows as influenced by age, head size, height, weight, body su rface area, and handedness. The blood flows were 142 +/- 58 ml/min (me an +/- standard deviation) in the basilar artery; and 229 +/- 86 ml/mi n in the left, and 223 +/- 58 ml/min in the right internal carotid art ery; and tCBF was 617 +/- 128 ml/min, Significant increases were obser ved in head size-related change of VFR in the basilar artery (p = .028 ) and height-related change of tCBF (p = .045), The other characterist ics did not significantly influence any VFR, The results suggest that head size and height may reflect CBF, and that these effects should be considered when changes of CBF are diagnosed, Phase-contrast MRI is u seful for a noninvasive and rapid analysis of cerebral VFR and has pot ential for clinical use. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.