Guillaume Calmon1,2, Olivier Baldent3,
Marc Labrousse1,4, Catherine Gondry-Jouet3, Anthony
Fichten3, Gabriela Hossu5, Jacques Felblinger1,5,
Marc Braun1,6
1IADI, INSERM U947, Nancy,
France; 2GE Healthcare, Buc, France; 3Amiens University
Hospital, Amiens, France; 4Faculty of Medecine & University
Hospital, Reims, France; 5INSERM CIT801, CIC-IT, Nancy, France; 6Faculty
of Medecine & University Hospital, Nancy, France
Phase-contrast MRI was used at the level of the brain stem in 22 volunteers and compared to 15 patients with non-communicating hydrocephalus. ROIs were manually drawn in the pons. Brain stem motion during the cardiac cycle was assessed in the cranio-caudal direction. Brain stem motion amplitude is significantly reduced in patient vs. volunteers (p = 0.009). Brain stem motion amplitude is reduced in healthy female versus healthy male (p = 0.018). Brain stem motion peaked 67 ms later in patients compared to volunteers. In conclusion, brain stem motion amplitude is reduced and the waveforms are modified in non-communicating hydrocephalus.