Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: With the advances of magnetic resonance technology, the CBF, oxygen extraction fraction, and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen can be measured in MRI. Our aim was to measure the CBF, oxygen extraction fraction, and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen use in patients with different severities of middle cerebral artery stenosis or acute stroke by using the arterial spin-labeling and susceptibility-weighted imaging techniques.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with MCA stenosis or acute stroke were recruited and classified into 4 groups: mild MCA stenosis (group 1), severe MCA stenosis (group 2), occluded MCA (group 3), and acute stroke (group 4). Arterial spin-labeling and SWI sequences were used to acquire CBF, oxygen extraction fraction, and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen.
RESULTS: The oxygen extraction fraction in hemispheres with mild MCA stenosis (group 1) was remarkably higher than that in the contralateral hemisphere. In addition, hemispheres with severe MCA stenosis (group 2) had significantly lower CBF and a significantly higher oxygen extraction fraction than the contralateral hemisphere. Hemispheres with occluded MCA (group 3) or acute stroke (group 4) had a significantly lower CBF and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen and a significantly higher oxygen extraction fraction than the contralateral hemisphere.
CONCLUSIONS: The oxygen extraction fraction gradually increased in groups 1–3. When this offset a decrease in CBF, the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen remained at a normal level. An occluded MCA led to reduction in both the CBF and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen. Moreover, the oxygen extraction fraction and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in the occluded MCA region during acute stroke.
ABBREVIATIONS:
- ASL
- arterial spin-labeling
- Hct
- hematocrit
- CMRO2
- cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen
- HR
- high-resolution
- OEF
- oxygen extraction fraction
- rCBF
- relative cerebral blood flow
- rCMRO2
- relative cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen
- rOEF
- relative oxygen extraction fraction
- Yv
- venous oxygen saturation
- © 2016 by American Journal of Neuroradiology