Sandra M. Meyers1, Irene M. Vavasour2, Cornelia Laule2, 3, Shannon H. Kolind4, 5, Roger Tam2, 6, Burkhard Maedler7, David K. Li2, 6, Alex
1Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 2Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 3Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 4FMRIB Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; 5Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; 6MS/MRI Research Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 7University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Accurate water content (WC) measurement is valuable for assessing edema and monitoring effects of therapy. While hydration has been shown to significantly affect brain volume, the effect of fluid intake on MR brain WC is currently unknown. To investigate this question, 20 healthy volunteers were scanned at 3T with 3DT2 and IR sequences four times: (1) baseline, (2) after consuming 3L of water, and (3/4) twice after overnight dehydration. WC was calculated as the integral under the T2 distribution, relative to that of a water standard, with additional corrections. Hydration did not have a significant, measurable effect on brain WC.