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Yang Y, Shahryari M, Meyer T, Marticorena Garcia SR, Görner S, Salimi Majd M, Guo J, Braun J, Sack I, Tzschätzsch H. Explorative study using ultrasound time-harmonic elastography for stiffness-based quantification of skeletal muscle function. Z Med Phys 2024:S0939-3889(24)00027-8. [PMID: 38508947 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Time-harmonic elastography (THE) is an emerging ultrasound imaging technique that allows full-field mapping of the stiffness of deep biological tissues. THE's unique ability to rapidly capture stiffness in multiple tissues has never been applied for imaging skeletal muscle. Therefore, we addressed the lack of data on temporal changes in skeletal muscle stiffness while simultaneously covering stiffness of different muscles. Acquiring repeated THE scans every five seconds we quantified shear-wave speed (SWS) as a marker of stiffness of the long head (LHB) and short head (SHB) of biceps brachii and of the brachialis muscle (B) in ten healthy volunteers. SWS was continuously acquired during a 3-min isometric preloading phase, a 3-min loading phase with different weights (4, 8, and 12 kg), and a 9-min postloading phase. In addition, we analyzed temporal SWS standard deviation (SD) as a marker of muscle contraction regulation. Our results (median [min, max]) showed both SWS at preloading (LHB: 1.04 [0.94, 1.12] m/s, SHB: 0.86 [0.78, 0.94] m/s, B: 0.96 [0.87, 1.09] m/s, p < 0.001) and the increase in SWS with loading weight to be muscle-specific (LHB: 0.010 [0.002, 0.019] m/s/kg, SHB: 0.022 [0.017, 0.042] m/s/kg, B: 0.039 [0.019, 0.062] m/s/kg, p < 0.001). Additionally, SWS during loading increased continuously over time by 0.022 [0.004, 0.051] m/s/min (p < 0.01). Using an exponential decay model, we found an average relaxation time of 27 seconds during postloading. Analogously, SWS SD at preloading was also muscle-specific (LHB: 0.018 [0.011, 0.029] m/s, SHB: 0.021 [0.015, 0.027] m/s, B: 0.024 [0.018, 0.037] m/s, p < 0.05) and increased by 0.005 [0.003, 0.008] m/s/kg (p < 0.01) with loading. SWS SD did not change over loading time and decreased immediately in the postloading phase. Taken together, THE of skeletal muscle is a promising imaging technique for in vivo quantification of stiffness and stiffness changes in multiple muscle groups within seconds. Both the magnitude of stiffness changes and their temporal variation during isometric exercise may reflect the functional status of skeletal muscle and provide additional information to the morphological measures obtained by conventional imaging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mehrgan Shahryari
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tom Meyer
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan Rodrigo Marticorena Garcia
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Steffen Görner
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mahsa Salimi Majd
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jing Guo
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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Sanjana F, Delgorio PL, DeConne TM, Hiscox LV, Pohlig RT, Johnson CL, Martens CR. Vascular determinants of hippocampal viscoelastic properties in healthy adults across the lifespan. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2023; 43:1931-1941. [PMID: 37395479 PMCID: PMC10676145 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x231186571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Arterial stiffness and cerebrovascular pulsatility are non-traditional risk factors of Alzheimer's disease. However, there is a gap in understanding the earliest mechanisms that link these vascular determinants to brain aging. Changes to mechanical tissue properties of the hippocampus (HC), a brain structure essential for memory encoding, may reflect the impact of vascular dysfunction on brain aging. We tested the hypothesis that arterial stiffness and cerebrovascular pulsatility are related to HC tissue properties in healthy adults across the lifespan. Twenty-five adults underwent measurements of brachial blood pressure (BP), large elastic artery stiffness, middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCAv PI), and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), a sensitive measure of HC viscoelasticity. Individuals with higher carotid pulse pressure (PP) exhibited lower HC stiffness (β = -0.39, r = -0.41, p = 0.05), independent of age and sex. Collectively, carotid PP and MCAv PI significantly explained a large portion of the total variance in HC stiffness (adjusted R2 = 0.41, p = 0.005) in the absence of associations with HC volumes. These cross-sectional findings suggest that the earliest reductions in HC tissue properties are associated with alterations in vascular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faria Sanjana
- Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Peyton L Delgorio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Theodore M DeConne
- Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Lucy V Hiscox
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Ryan T Pohlig
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Curtis L Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Christopher R Martens
- Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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Meyer T, Kreft B, Bergs J, Antes E, Anders MS, Wellge B, Braun J, Doyley M, Tzschätzsch H, Sack I. Stiffness pulsation of the human brain detected by non-invasive time-harmonic elastography. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1140734. [PMID: 37650041 PMCID: PMC10463728 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1140734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cerebral pulsation is a vital aspect of cerebral hemodynamics. Changes in arterial pressure in response to cardiac pulsation cause cerebral pulsation, which is related to cerebrovascular compliance and cerebral blood perfusion. Cerebrovascular compliance and blood perfusion influence the mechanical properties of the brain, causing pulsation-induced changes in cerebral stiffness. However, there is currently no imaging technique available that can directly quantify the pulsation of brain stiffness in real time. Methods: Therefore, we developed non-invasive ultrasound time-harmonic elastography (THE) technique for the real-time detection of brain stiffness pulsation. We used state-of-the-art plane-wave imaging for interleaved acquisitions of shear waves at a frequency of 60 Hz to measure stiffness and color flow imaging to measure cerebral blood flow within the middle cerebral artery. In the second experiment, we used cost-effective lineby-line B-mode imaging to measure the same mechanical parameters without flow imaging to facilitate future translation to the clinic. Results: In 10 healthy volunteers, stiffness increased during the passage of the arterial pulse wave from 4.8% ± 1.8% in the temporal parenchyma to 11% ± 5% in the basal cisterns and 13% ± 9% in the brain stem. Brain stiffness peaked in synchrony with cerebral blood flow at approximately 180 ± 30 ms after the cardiac R-wave. Line-by-line THE provided the same stiffness values with similar time resolution as high-end plane-wave THE, demonstrating the robustness of brain stiffness pulsation as an imaging marker. Discussion: Overall, this study sets the background and provides reference values for time-resolved THE in the human brain as a cost-efficient and easy-touse mechanical biomarker associated with cerebrovascular compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Meyer
- Department of Radiology, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernhard Kreft
- Department of Radiology, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Judith Bergs
- Department of Radiology, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erik Antes
- Department of Radiology, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias S. Anders
- Department of Radiology, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Brunhilde Wellge
- Department of Radiology, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marvin Doyley
- Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Department of Radiology, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of Radiology, Charité—University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Reeder EL, O'Connell CJ, Collins SM, Traubert OD, Norman SV, Cáceres RA, Sah R, Smith DW, Robson MJ. Increased Carbon Dioxide Respiration Prevents the Effects of Acceleration/Deceleration Elicited Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Neuroscience 2023; 509:20-35. [PMID: 36332692 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Acceleration/deceleration forces are a common component of various causes of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and result in strain and shear forces on brain tissue. A small quantifiable volume dubbed the compensatory reserve volume (CRV) permits energy transmission to brain tissue during acceleration/deceleration events. The CRV is principally regulated by cerebral blood flow (CBF) and CBF is primarily determined by the concentration of inspired carbon dioxide (CO2). We hypothesized that experimental hypercapnia (i.e. increased inspired concentration of CO2) may act to prevent and mitigate the actions of acceleration/deceleration-induced TBI. To determine these effects C57Bl/6 mice underwent experimental hypercapnia whereby they were exposed to medical-grade atmospheric air or 5% CO2 immediately prior to an acceleration/deceleration-induced mTBI paradigm. mTBI results in significant increases in righting reflex time (RRT), reductions in core body temperature, and reductions in general locomotor activity-three hours post injury (hpi). Experimental hypercapnia immediately preceding mTBI was found to prevent mTBI-induced increases in RRT and reductions in core body temperature and general locomotor activity. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing conducted four hpi revealed that CO2 exposure prevented mTBI-induced transcriptional alterations of several targets related to oxidative stress, immune, and inflammatory signaling. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis confirmed the prevention of mTBI-induced increases in mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 6 and metallothionein-2. These initial proof of concept studies reveal that increases in inspired CO2 mitigate the detrimental contributions of acceleration/deceleration events in mTBI and may feasibly be translated in the future to humans using a medical device seeking to prevent mTBI among high-risk groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan L Reeder
- University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Christopher J O'Connell
- University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Sean M Collins
- University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Owen D Traubert
- University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Sophia V Norman
- University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Román A Cáceres
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Cancer and Cell Biology Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Renu Sah
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Robson
- University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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Herthum H, Hetzer S, Kreft B, Tzschätzsch H, Shahryari M, Meyer T, Görner S, Neubauer H, Guo J, Braun J, Sack I. Cerebral tomoelastography based on multifrequency MR elastography in two and three dimensions. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1056131. [PMID: 36532573 PMCID: PMC9755504 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1056131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) generates quantitative maps of the mechanical properties of biological soft tissues. However, published values obtained by brain MRE vary largely and lack detail resolution, due to either true biological effects or technical challenges. We here introduce cerebral tomoelastography in two and three dimensions for improved data consistency and detail resolution while considering aging, brain parenchymal fraction (BPF), systolic blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Multifrequency MRE with 2D- and 3D-tomoelastography postprocessing was applied to the brains of 31 volunteers (age range: 22-61 years) for analyzing the coefficient of variation (CV) and effects of biological factors. Eleven volunteers were rescanned after 1 day and 1 year to determine intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and identify possible long-term changes. Results: White matter shear wave speed (SWS) was slightly higher in 2D-MRE (1.28 ± 0.02 m/s) than 3D-MRE (1.22 ± 0.05 m/s, p < 0.0001), with less variation after 1 day in 2D (0.33 ± 0.32%) than in 3D (0.96 ± 0.66%, p = 0.004), which was also reflected in a slightly lower CV and higher ICC in 2D (1.84%, 0.97 [0.88-0.99]) than in 3D (3.89%, 0.95 [0.76-0.99]). Remarkably, 3D-MRE was sensitive to a decrease in white matter SWS within only 1 year, whereas no change in white matter volume was observed during this follow-up period. Across volunteers, stiffness correlated with age and BPF, but not with blood pressure and BMI. Conclusion: Cerebral tomoelastography provides high-resolution viscoelasticity maps with excellent consistency. Brain MRE in 2D shows less variation across volunteers in shorter scan times than 3D-MRE, while 3D-MRE appears to be more sensitive to subtle biological effects such as aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helge Herthum
- Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Hetzer
- Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernhard Kreft
- Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mehrgan Shahryari
- Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tom Meyer
- Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Steffen Görner
- Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hennes Neubauer
- Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jing Guo
- Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Kreft B, Tzschätzsch H, Shahryari M, Haffner P, Braun J, Sack I, Streitberger KJ. Noninvasive Detection of Intracranial Hypertension by Novel Ultrasound Time-Harmonic Elastography. Invest Radiol 2022; 57:77-84. [PMID: 34380993 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A method for measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) noninvasively has long been sought after in neurology and neurosurgery. Treatment failure in individuals presenting with unspecific symptoms such as headache, gait disturbance, or visual impairment occurring in response to increased ICP can lead to irreversible brain injury, progressive disability, and death. Guidelines for diagnostic ICP measurement recommend intracranial placement of pressure tip catheters or lumbar puncture (LP) despite their invasiveness and possible complications. As ICP fluctuations are closely associated with changes in brain stiffness, ultrasound elastography could be a valid method to detect ICP noninvasively and with short examination times. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this pilot study, we have investigated the use of time-harmonic shear waves, introduced into the brain by an external shaker, and measured in real-time by transtemporal ultrasound, for deducing a noninvasive imaging marker sensitive to elevated ICP. To this end, we developed cerebral ultrasound time-harmonic elastography for the noninvasive quantification of shear wave speed (SWS) as a surrogate marker of cerebral stiffness in a short examination time of a few minutes. RESULTS We found that SWS in patients enrolled for LP with confirmed intracranial hypertension was 1.81 ± 0.10 m/s, distinguishing them from healthy volunteers with excellent diagnostic accuracy (1.55 ± 0.08 m/s; P < 0.001; area under the curve, 0.99). Interestingly, values in symptomatic patients decreased to normal stiffness immediately after LP (1.56 ± 0.06 m/s, P < 0.001). Moreover, invasively measured opening pressure correlated with SWS measured before LP and liquid volume drained through the spinal tap with the SWS difference between the 2 measurements. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results suggest a tight link between cerebral stiffness and ICP and demonstrate that intracranial hypertension can be detected noninvasively within short examination times, opening avenues for diagnostic applications of cerebral ultrasound time-harmonic elastography in neurology and emergency medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paula Haffner
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Kaspar-Josche Streitberger
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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Herthum H, Hetzer S, Scheel M, Shahryari M, Braun J, Paul F, Sack I. In vivo stiffness of multiple sclerosis lesions is similar to that of normal-appearing white matter. Acta Biomater 2022; 138:410-421. [PMID: 34757062 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.10.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In 1868, French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot coined the term multiple sclerosis (MS) after his observation that numerous white matter (WM) glial scars felt like sclerotic tissue. Nowadays, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) can generate images with contrast of stiffness (CS) in soft in vivo tissues and may therefore be sensitive to MS lesions, provided that sclerosis is indeed a mechanical signature of this disease. We analyzed CS in a total of 147 lesions in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, compared with control regions in contralateral brain regions, and phantom data as well as performed numerical simulations to determine the delineation limits of multifrequency MRE (20 - 40 Hz) in MS. MRE analysis of simulated waves revealed a delineation limit of approximately 10% CS for detecting 9-mm lesions (mean size in our patient population). Due to inversion bias, this limit is reached when true CS is -11% for soft and 35% for stiff lesions. In vivo MRE identified 35 stiffer lesions and 17 softer lesions compared with surrounding WM (mean stiffness: 934±82 Pa). However, a similar pattern was found in the contralateral brain, suggesting that the range of stiffness changes in WM lesions due to MS is within the normal range of WM variability and normal heterogeneity-related CS. Consequently, Charcot's original intuition that MS is a focal sclerotic disease can neither be dismissed nor confirmed by in vivo MRE. However, the observation that MS lesions do not markedly differ in stiffness from surrounding brain tissue suggests that marked tissue sclerosis is not a mechanical signature of MS. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Multiple sclerosis (MS) was named by J.M. Charcot after the sclerotic changes in brain tissue he found in post-mortem autopsies. Since then, nothing has been revealed about the actual stiffening of MS lesions in vivo. Studying the viscoelastic properties of plaques in their natural environment is a major challenge that can only be overcome by MR elastography (MRE). Therefore, we used multifrequency MRE to answer the question whether MS lesions in patients with a relapsing-remitting disease course are mechanically different than surrounding tissue. Our findings suggest that the range of stiffness changes in white matter lesions due to MS is within the normal range of white matter variability and in vivo tissue sclerosis might not be a mechanical signature of MS.
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Getsy PM, Sundararajan S, Lewis SJ. Carotid sinus nerve transection abolishes the facilitation of breathing that occurs upon cessation of a hypercapnic gas challenge in male mice. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2021; 131:821-835. [PMID: 34236243 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01031.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Arterial pCO2 elevations increase minute ventilation via activation of chemosensors within the carotid body (CB) and brainstem. Although the roles of CB chemoafferents in the hypercapnic (HC) ventilatory response have been investigated, there are no studies reporting the role of these chemoafferents in the ventilatory responses to a HC challenge or the responses that occur upon return to room air, in freely moving mice. This study found that an HC challenge (5% CO2, 21% O2, 74% N2 for 15 min) elicited an array of responses, including increases in frequency of breathing (accompanied by decreases in inspiratory and expiratory times), and increases in tidal volume, minute ventilation, peak inspiratory and expiratory flows, and inspiratory and expiratory drives in sham-operated (SHAM) adult male C57BL6 mice, and that return to room air elicited a brief excitatory phase followed by gradual recovery of all parameters toward baseline values over a 15-min period. The array of ventilatory responses to the HC challenge in mice with bilateral carotid sinus nerve transection (CSNX) performed 7 days previously occurred more slowly but reached similar maxima as SHAM mice. A major finding was responses upon return to room air were dramatically lower in CSNX mice than SHAM mice, and the parameters returned to baseline values within 1-2 min in CSNX mice, whereas it took much longer in SHAM mice. These findings are the first evidence that CB chemoafferents play a key role in initiating the ventilatory responses to HC challenge in C57BL6 mice and are essential for the expression of post-HC ventilatory responses.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study presents the first evidence that carotid body chemoafferents play a key role in initiating the ventilatory responses, such as increases in frequency of breathing, tidal volume, and minute ventilation that occur in response to a hypercapnic gas challenge in freely moving C57BL6 mice. Our study also demonstrates for the first time that these chemoafferents are essential for the expression of the ventilatory responses that occur upon return to room air in these mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina M Getsy
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Sripriya Sundararajan
- Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Stephen J Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio.,Department of Pharmacology, Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio
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Troy AM, Cheng HM. Human microvascular reactivity: a review of vasomodulating stimuli and non-invasive imaging assessment. Physiol Meas 2021; 42. [PMID: 34325417 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/ac18fd] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The microvasculature serves an imperative function in regulating perfusion and nutrient exchange throughout the body, adaptively altering blood flow to preserve hemodynamic and metabolic homeostasis. Its normal functioning is vital to tissue health, whereas its dysfunction is present in many chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline. As microvascular dysfunction often appears early in disease progression, its detection can offer early diagnostic information. To detect microvascular dysfunction, one uses imaging to probe the microvasculature's ability to react to a stimulus, also known as microvascular reactivity (MVR). An assessment of MVR requires an integrated understanding of vascular physiology, techniques for stimulating reactivity, and available imaging methods to capture the dynamic response. Practical considerations, including compatibility between the selected stimulus and imaging approach, likewise require attention. In this review, we provide a comprehensive foundation necessary for informed imaging of MVR, with a particular focus on the challenging endeavor of assessing microvascular function in deep tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M Troy
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, CANADA
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10
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Herthum H, Shahryari M, Tzschätzsch H, Schrank F, Warmuth C, Görner S, Hetzer S, Neubauer H, Pfeuffer J, Braun J, Sack I. Real-Time Multifrequency MR Elastography of the Human Brain Reveals Rapid Changes in Viscoelasticity in Response to the Valsalva Maneuver. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:666456. [PMID: 34026743 PMCID: PMC8131519 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.666456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Modulation of cerebral blood flow and vascular compliance plays an important role in the regulation of intracranial pressure (ICP) and also influences the viscoelastic properties of brain tissue. Therefore, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), the gold standard for measuring in vivo viscoelasticity of brain tissue, is potentially sensitive to cerebral autoregulation. In this study, we developed a multifrequency MMRE technique that provides serial maps of viscoelasticity at a frame rate of nearly 6 Hz without gating, i.e., in quasi-real time (rt-MMRE). This novel method was used to monitor rapid changes in the viscoelastic properties of the brains of 17 volunteers performing the Valsalva maneuver (VM). rt-MMRE continuously sampled externally induced vibrations comprising three frequencies of 30.03, 30.91, and 31.8 Hz were over 90 s using a steady-state, spiral-readout gradient-echo sequence. Data were processed by multifrequency dual elasto-visco (MDEV) inversion to generate maps of magnitude shear modulus | G∗| (stiffness) and loss angle φ at a frame rate of 5.4 Hz. As controls, the volunteers were examined to study the effects of breath-hold following deep inspiration and breath-hold following expiration. We observed that | G∗| increased while φ decreased due to VM and, less markedly, due to breath-hold in inspiration. Group mean VM values showed an early overshoot of | G∗| 2.4 ± 1.2 s after the onset of the maneuver with peak values of 6.7 ± 4.1% above baseline, followed by a continuous increase in stiffness during VM. A second overshoot of | G∗| occurred 5.5 ± 2.0 s after the end of VM with peak values of 7.4 ± 2.8% above baseline, followed by 25-s sustained recovery until the end of image acquisition. φ was constantly reduced by approximately 2% during the entire VM without noticeable peak values. This is the first report of viscoelasticity changes in brain tissue induced by physiological maneuvers known to alter ICP and detected by clinically applicable rt-MMRE. Our results show that apnea and VM slightly alter brain properties toward a more rigid-solid behavior. Overshooting stiffening reactions seconds after onset and end of VM reveal rapid autoregulatory processes of brain tissue viscoelasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helge Herthum
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mehrgan Shahryari
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Schrank
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Warmuth
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Steffen Görner
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Hetzer
- Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (BCAN), Berlin, Germany
| | - Hennes Neubauer
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Pfeuffer
- Application Development, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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Masterson C, Horie S, McCarthy SD, Gonzalez H, Byrnes D, Brady J, Fandiño J, Laffey JG, O'Toole D. Hypercapnia in the critically ill: insights from the bench to the bedside. Interface Focus 2021; 11:20200032. [PMID: 33628425 PMCID: PMC7898152 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2020.0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2) has long been considered, at best, a waste by-product of metabolism, and at worst, a toxic molecule with serious health consequences if physiological concentration is dysregulated. However, clinical observations have revealed that 'permissive' hypercapnia, the deliberate allowance of respiratory produced CO2 to remain in the patient, can have anti-inflammatory effects that may be beneficial in certain circumstances. In parallel, studies at the cell level have demonstrated the profound effect of CO2 on multiple diverse signalling pathways, be it the effect from CO2 itself specifically or from the associated acidosis it generates. At the whole organism level, it now appears likely that there are many biological sensing systems designed to respond to CO2 concentration and tailor respiratory and other responses to atmospheric or local levels. Animal models have been widely employed to study the changes in CO2 levels in various disease states and also to what extent permissive or even directly delivered CO2 can affect patient outcome. These findings have been advanced to the bedside at the same time that further clinical observations have been elucidated at the cell and animal level. Here we present a synopsis of the current understanding of how CO2 affects mammalian biological systems, with a particular emphasis on inflammatory pathways and diseases such as lung specific or systemic sepsis. We also explore some future directions and possibilities, such as direct control of blood CO2 levels, that could lead to improved clinical care in the future.
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12
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Zeng Q, Honarvar M, Schneider C, Mohammad SK, Lobo J, Pang EHT, Lau KT, Hu C, Jago J, Erb SR, Rohling R, Salcudean SE. Three-Dimensional Multi-Frequency Shear Wave Absolute Vibro-Elastography (3D S-WAVE) With a Matrix Array Transducer: Implementation and Preliminary In Vivo Study of the Liver. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2021; 40:648-660. [PMID: 33108283 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2020.3034065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is commonly regarded as the imaging-based gold-standard for liver fibrosis staging, comparable to biopsy. While ultrasound-based elastography methods for liver fibrosis staging have been developed, they are confined to a 1D or a 2D region of interest and to a limited depth. 3D Shear Wave Absolute Vibro-Elastography (S-WAVE) is a steady-state, external excitation, volumetric elastography technique that is similar to MRE, but has the additional advantage of multi-frequency excitation. We present a novel ultrasound matrix array implementation of S-WAVE that takes advantage of 3D imaging. We use a matrix array transducer to sample axial multi-frequency steady-state tissue motion over a volume, using a Color Power Angiography sequence. Tissue motion with the frequency components {40,50,60} and {45,55,65} Hz are acquired over a (90° lateral) × (40° elevational) × (16 cm depth) sector with an acquisition time of 12 seconds. We compute the elasticity map in 3D using local spatial frequency estimation. We characterize this new approach in tissue phantoms against measurements obtained with transient elastography and MRE. Six healthy volunteers and eight patients with chronic liver disease were imaged. Their MRE and S-WAVE volumes were aligned using T1 to B-mode registration for direct comparison in common regions of interest. S-WAVE and MRE results are correlated with R2 = 0.92, while MRE and TE results are correlated with R2 = 0.71. Our findings show that S-WAVE with matrix array has the potential to deliver a similar assessment of liver fibrosis as MRE in a more accessible, inexpensive way, to a broader set of patients.
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Kreft B, Bergs J, Shahryari M, Danyel LA, Hetzer S, Braun J, Sack I, Tzschätzsch H. Cerebral Ultrasound Time-Harmonic Elastography Reveals Softening of the Human Brain Due to Dehydration. Front Physiol 2021; 11:616984. [PMID: 33505319 PMCID: PMC7830390 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.616984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydration influences blood volume, blood viscosity, and water content in soft tissues - variables that determine the biophysical properties of biological tissues including their stiffness. In the brain, the relationship between hydration and stiffness is largely unknown despite the increasing importance of stiffness as a quantitative imaging marker. In this study, we investigated cerebral stiffness (CS) in 12 healthy volunteers using ultrasound time-harmonic elastography (THE) in different hydration states: (i) during normal hydration, (ii) after overnight fasting, and (iii) within 1 h of drinking 12 ml of water per kg body weight. In addition, we correlated shear wave speed (SWS) with urine osmolality and hematocrit. SWS at normal hydration was 1.64 ± 0.02 m/s and decreased to 1.57 ± 0.04 m/s (p < 0.001) after overnight fasting. SWS increased again to 1.63 ± 0.01 m/s within 30 min of water drinking, returning to values measured during normal hydration (p = 0.85). Urine osmolality at normal hydration (324 ± 148 mOsm/kg) increased to 784 ± 107 mOsm/kg (p < 0.001) after fasting and returned to normal (288 ± 128 mOsm/kg, p = 0.83) after water drinking. SWS and urine osmolality correlated linearly (r = -0.68, p < 0.001), while SWS and hematocrit did not correlate (p = 0.31). Our results suggest that mild dehydration in the range of diurnal fluctuations is associated with significant softening of brain tissue, possibly due to reduced cerebral perfusion. To ensure consistency of results, it is important that cerebral elastography with a standardized protocol is performed during normal hydration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Kreft
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Judith Bergs
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mehrgan Shahryari
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Hetzer
- Bernstein Center of Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiko Tzschätzsch
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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