Iain D. Wilkinson1, Nyssa Craig1,
Elaine Cachia1, Tim J. B. Hughes1, Dan Warren1,
Solomon Tesfaye2, Petersen T. Esben3, Xavier Golay4,
Dinesh Selvarajah2
1Academic Radiology, University
of Sheffield, Sheffield, S Yorkshire, United Kingdom; 2Diabetes,
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals; 3National University of Singapore; 4University
College London
Cerebral ischemia and a reduced ability to recover from it are linked with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study uses QUASAR arterial spin labeling (ASL) to determine arterial cerebral blood flow (CBF) before and after a pharmacological vasodilatory challenge (acetazolamide), providing a measurement of cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) in groups of patients with T2DM and controls. Increases in gray matter CBF were seen following acetazolamide. Results suggest a subset of neurologically normal T2DM patients have limited CVR. This technique may provide clinically useful methods with which to identify such subgroups.