Cerebrospinal fluid dynamics and relation with blood flow: a magnetic resonance study with semiautomated cerebrospinal fluid segmentation

Abstract

Rationale and objectives: To investigate and measure temporal and amplitude aspects of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow waveform relations.

Methods: A cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence was used to measure blood and CSF flow in 16 healthy subjects aged 27 +/- 4 years. A semiautomated segmentation algorithm was developed to study CSF flow.

Results: Standard deviations of the aqueductal and cervical flow measurements carried out by five observers were 1% and 4%, respectively. The peak systolic arterial flow was 1087 +/- 169 mL/min, and the peak cervical CSF flush (173 +/- 59 mL/min) occurred at 5% +/- 3% of the cardiac cycle after the internal carotid systolic peak flow. Peak aqueductal flush flow (13 +/- 5 mL/min) occurred at 21% +/- 7% of the cardiac cycle after the internal carotid systolic peak flow.

Conclusions: The CSF segmentation algorithm is reproducible. Brain expansion was quickly regulated by a major extracerebral CSF flush flow, whereas ventricular CSF made only a very small contribution.