Robert A. Knight1, James R. Ewing1, Kishor Karki1, Joseph D. Fenstermacher2, Tavarekere N. Nagaraja2
1Neurology - NMR Research, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, United States; 2Anesthesiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, United States
The development of edema following cerebral ischemia and reperfusion is a critical factor in determining stroke severity and predicting outcome. As the ischemic injury evolves, the blood-brain barrier often becomes injured, allowing water and contrast agent to leak out of the damaged vessels. Thus, contrast enhanced MRI may represent a potential method for assessing post-stroke edema formation by tracking the interaction of the extravascular water molecules with the leaking MRCA.