Henrik Oden1, Michael Markl2, Bruce S. Spottiswoode3
1Lund Institure of Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; 2Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics, Albert-Ludwigs Universitt, Freiburg, Germany; 3Cape Universities Brain Imaging Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
This work describes the application of 3D velocity encoded MRI to assess CSF flow patency in the brain. Five normal volunteers were scanned using a time-resolved 3D gradient echo phase contrast sequence with 3-directional velocity encoding. Post processing involved spatiotemporal phase unwrapping, fitted field inhomogeneity surface subtraction, and combining data from the three velocity encoding directions into a 3D integrated flow volume. Communicating flow between ventricles and passageways was then identified using nearest-neighbour connectivity. Flow connectivity within the brain was demonstrated in all five volunteers. This technique provides an automated and promising means of assessing CSF flow patency.