Evaluation of Brain Tissue Applying Equivalent Cross-relaxation Rate Using MRI

概要

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The equivalent cross-relaxation rate (ECR) is a measurement method that can evaluate a change in organization structure quantitatively utilizing MRI. The goal of this study is to discover a parameter that we can use to evaluate aging of the human brain using ECR. Fourteen patients diagnosed with diseases other than those located in the cranium were imaged using a SIGNA model of GE Medical Systems equipped with a 1.5 T clinical scanner. The ECR values were defined as the percentage of signal loss between unsaturated and saturated images. It was found that the ECR value of gray matter was lower than subcortical white matter. At ages under 70 years old, the mean of ECR values of subcortical white matter showed stable values with insignificant variance. Furthermore, there was no correlation between age and ECR value of every region calculated. On the other hand, it was found that there was a negative correlation for the ECR values of subcortical white matter and gray matter at ages slightly over 70 years old. It is possible that the reduction in ECR value shows demyelination by aging in the senium. When the offset frequency is near the water resonance frequency, the ECR values mean information about neurocytes. Accordingly, the ECR (320)/ECR (1200) value probably shows that information is related to the amount or activity of neurons.
一般社団法人日本生体医工学会の論文