Changes in Total Cerebral Blood Flow with Aging, Parenchymal Volume Changes, and Vascular Abnormalities: a Two-dimensional Phase-Contrast MRI Study

나이와 뇌실질부피 변화 및 혈관이상에 따른 총뇌혈류량 변화: 이차원 위상대조 자기공명영상을 이용한 연구

Purpose : To evaluate changes in total cerebral blood flow (tCBF) with aging, parenchymal volume changes and vascular abnormalities, using 2 dimensional (D) phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC MRI). Materials and Methods : Routine brain MRI including T2 weighted image, time-of-flight (TOF) MR Angiography (MRA) and 2D PC MRI were performed in 73 individuals, including 12 volunteers. Normal subjects (12 volunteers, and 21 individuals with normal MRI and normal MRA) were classified into groups according to age (18-29, 30-49 and 50-66 years). For the group with abnormalities in brain MRIs, cerebral parenchymal volume changes were scored according to the T2 weighted images, and atherosclerotic changes were scored according to the MRA findings. Abnormal groups were classified into 4 groups: (i) mild reduction in volume, (ii) marked reduction in volume by parenchymal volume and atherosclerotic changes, and (iii) increased volume and (iv) Moya-moya disease. Volumetric flow was measured at the internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery bilaterally using the velocity-flow diagrams from PC MRI, and combined 4 vessel flows and tCBF were compared among all the groups. Results : The age-specific distribution of tCBFs in normal subjects were as follows: $12.0{\pm}2.1ml/sec$ in 18-29 years group, $11.8{\pm}1.9ml/sec$ in 30-49 years group, $10.9{\pm}2.2ml/sec$ in 50-66 years group. The distribution of tCBFs in the different subsets of the abnormal population were as follows: $9.5{\pm}2.5ml/sec$ in the group with mild reduction in volume, $7.6{\pm}2.0ml/sec$ in the group with marked reduction in volume, and $7.3{\pm}1.2ml/sec$ and $7.0{\pm}1.1ml/sec$ in the increased parenchymal volume and Moya-moya disease groups respectively. Conclusion : Total cerebral blood flow decreases with increasing age with a concomitant reduction in parenchymal volumes and increasing atherosclerotic changes. It is also reduced in the presence of increased parenchymal volume and Moya-moya disease.2D PC MRI can be used as a tool to evaluate tCBF with aging and in the presence of various conditions that can affect parenchymal volume and cerebral vasculature.

목적 : 이차원 위상대조 자기공명영상을 이용하여 나이변화와 뇌실질 부피변화 및 혈관이상의 정도에 따른 총뇌혈류량의 변화를 알고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법 : 12명의 지원자를 포함한 73명을 대상으로 T2강조 영상과 Time-of-flight 방법의 자기공명혈관촬영과 이차원 위상대조 자기공명영상을 얻었다. 정상군은 지원자 12명과 자기공명영상 및 자기공명혈관촬영에서 정상소견을 보인 21명으로서 이들은 18-29세, 30-49세, 50-66세 군으로 나누었다. 비정상군은 T2강조영상의 뇌실질부피 변화정도와 자기공명 혈관촬영의 동맥경화 정도에 따라 mild reduction군(17명) , marked reduction군(12명)으로 나누었고, 뇌실질이 증가한 increased volume군(6명)과 Moya-moya군(5명)으로 분류하였다 뇌혈류는 위상대조 자기공명영상의 속도-혈류 곡선으로부터 양쪽 내경동맥과 추골동맥에서 측정하고 합하여 뇌의 총뇌혈류량으로 하였으며, 각군 사이의 혈류량을 비교 관찰하였다. 결과 정상군의 총뇌혈류량은 18-29세군은$12.0{\pm}2.1ml/sec$, 30-49세군은 $11.8{\pm}1.9m1/sec$, 50-66세군은 $10.9{\pm}2.2ml/sec$였다. 비정상군 중에서 mild reduction 군은 $9.5{\pm}2.5ml/sec$, marked reduction 군은 $7.6{\pm}2.0ml/sec$, increased volume군은 $7.3{\pm}1.2ml/sec$, Moya-moya군은 $7.0{\pm}1.1ml/sec$였다. 결론 : 총뇌혈류량은 나이 증가에 따라 감소하였고, 뇌실질부피 감소와 동맥경화 정도에 따라 감소하였으며 increased volume군과 Moya-moya군에서도 감소하였다. 이차원 위상대조 자기공명영상은 나이변화나 뇌실질의 부피변화와 혈관이상을 초래하는 다양한 뇌질환에서 총뇌혈류량을 관찰할 수 있는 유용한 방법이라고 생각된다.