Abstract
Aims:
To investigate the total cerebral blood flow (TCBF) non-invasively based on MRI across physiological development and to collect normative values from childhood to adolescence.
Methods:
55 neurological healthy subjects between 3 and 18 years (28 male, 27 female) were investigated on a 3T MRI. Axial cine-phase contrast sequences were performed perpendicular to the neck vessels to quantify arterial inflow through the left and right carotid (LCA, RCA) and left and right vertebral artery (LVA and RVA). Data were analyzed using linear regression models.
Results:
Total cerebral blood flow defined as the sum of flow through the four cervical arteries (mean 1073 +/- 203ml/min) significantly decreased with increasing age (p<0.001). This was also true for each of the investigated arteries (LCA, RCA, LVA and RVA; (p<0.001). Gender had no significant effect on arterial flow (p>0.05).
Conclusion:
Total cerebral blood flow can be non-invasively assessed with phase-contrast-imaging. TCBF is age-dependent and decreases with increasing age whereas gender does not have an impact on the TCBF in our study. These age-related changes need to be taken into consideration when pediatric patients are evaluated with phase contrast MRI.