Evaluating the Effect of Arterial Pulsation on Cerebrospinal Fluid Motion in the Sylvian Fissure of Patients with Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Using Low b-value Diffusion-weighted Imaging
Toshiaki Taoka, Hisashi Kawai, Toshiki Nakane, Takashi Abe, Rei Nakamichi, Rintaro Ito, Yutaro Sasaki, Ayumi Nishida, Shinji Naganawa
Abstract
PURPOSE: Decrease in signal of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on low b-value diffusion weighted image (DWI) due to non-uniform flow can provide additional information regarding CSF motion. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether arterial pulsations constitute the driving force of CSF motion. METHODS: was evaluated for a decrease in CSF signal within the Sylvian fissure including the Sylvian vallecula and lower, middle, and higher Sylvian fissures and graded as follows: the same as contralateral side; smaller signal decrease than that on contralateral side; and no signal decrease. MR angiography (MRA) findings of MCA were graded as follows: the same as contralateral, lower signal than contralateral signal, and no signal. In 15 patients, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was evaluated using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies and graded as >90%, 90%-70%, and <70% rCBF compared to contralateral. The correlations between the gradings were evaluated using G likelihood-ratio test. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant correlation between the MRA and low b-value DWI gradings of CSF in all areas. There were statistically significant correlations between the decreases in CBF on SPECT and CSF signals in the middle Sylvian fissure. CONCLUSION: The driving force of CSF pulsation in the Sylvian sinus may be related to the pulsations of the cerebral hemisphere rather than direct arterial pulsations.