Francoise Vaufrey | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Frequency-shift based detection of BMS contrast agents using SSFP: potential for MRA.

A novel mechanism of MRI contrast enhancement, based on the detection by a balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence of the proton resonance frequency shift induced by bulk magnetic susceptibility (BMS) contrast agents, was investigated. The potential for this contrast mechanism to image blood vessels was explored. The relaxation time and the frequency shift effects of gadolinium- and dysprosium-DOTA on SSFP signal was first simulated and evaluated on a water phantom at 1.5 T. In vitro, a 5-mM concentration in contrast agent induced a 20-Hz frequency shift, leading to a signal increase of 92% for Dy-DOTA, and a 10-Hz frequency shift, leading to a signal increase of 58% for Gd-DOTA at the reference frequency, taking into account the nonlinear SSFP signal response on frequency offset. The concept was then evaluated in vivo on anesthetized rabbits. Low doses of dysprosium-DOTA were injected in their vascular system, and imaging was performed at the level of neck vessels. Following a bolus injection, mean signal changes of 31%, 20% and 14% were observed in the carotid arteries, the vertebral veins and the jugular veins, respectively. The bolus peak times in arteries and veins were consistent with the rabbit vascular circulation. This frequency-shift based contrast mechanism presents interesting potential for contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) compared to usual relaxation-based contrast, but further investigations on reproducibility will be necessary.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

In vivo quantification of localized neuronal activation and inhibition in the rat brain using a dedicated high temporal-resolution beta +-sensitive microprobe.

Understanding brain disorders, the neural processes implicated in cognitive functions and their alterations in neurodegenerative pathologies, or testing new therapies for these diseases would benefit greatly from combined use of an increasing number of rodent models and neuroimaging methods specifically adapted to the rodent brain. Besides magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and functional MR, positron-emission tomography (PET) remains a unique methodology to study in vivo brain processes. However, current high spatial-resolution tomographs suffer from several technical limitations such as high cost, low sensitivity, and the need of restraining the animal during image acquisition. We have developed a beta(+)-sensitive high temporal-resolution system that overcomes these problems and allows the in vivo quantification of cerebral biochemical processes in rodents. This beta-MICROPROBE is an in situ technique involving the insertion of a fine probe into brain tissue in a way very similar to that used for microdialysis and cell electrode recordings. In this respect, it provides information on molecular interactions and pathways, which is complementary to that produced by these technologies as well as other modalities such as MR or fluorescence imaging. This study describes two experiments that provide a proof of concept to substantiate the potential of this technique and demonstrate the feasibility of quantifying brain activation or metabolic depression in individual living rats with 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose and standard compartmental modeling techniques. Furthermore, it was possible to identify correctly the origin of variations in glucose consumption at the hexokinase level, which demonstrate the strength of the method and its adequacy for in vivo quantitative metabolic studies in small animals.

Animals↗