Quantitative analysis of intraspinal cerebrospinal fluid flow in normal adults

• Published in: Neural regeneration research Vol. 7; no. 15; pp. 1164 - 1169
• Main Authors: Yan, Leka, Liu, Huaijun, Shang, Hua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd 25-05-2012; Department of Imaging, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
• Subjects: Datasets; Flow velocity; Magnetic resonance imaging; Quantitative analysis; Statistical analysis; Studies; Techniques and Methods: Neuroimaging and Neural Regeneration; neural regeneration; subarachnoid space; thoracic spinal canal; fast cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging; quantitative; cerebrospinal fluid; flow
• ISSN: 1673-5374; 1876-7958
• DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2012.15.007

The present study quantitatively analyzed intraspinal cerebrospinal fluid flow patterns in 19 normal adults using fast cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. Results showed increased downward flow velocity and volume compared with upward flow, and the average downward flow volume of intraspinal cerebrospinal fluid decreased from top to bottom at different intervertebral disc levels. Upward and downward cerebrospinal fluid flow velocity reached a peak at the thoracic intraspinal anterior region, and velocity reached a minimum at the posterior region. Overall measurements revealed that mean upward and downward flow volume positively correlated with the subarachnoid area. Upward peak flow velocity and volume positively correlated with spinal anteroposterior diameter. However, downward peak flow velocity and volume exhibited a negative correlation with spinal anteroposterior diameter. Further flow measurements showed that flow velocity in upward and downward directions was associated with subarachnoid anteroposterior diameter, respectively. The present experimental results showed that cerebrospinal fluid flow velocity and volume varied at different intraspinal regions and were affected by subarachnoid space area and anteroposterior diameter size.