Simultaneous coherent-incoherent motion imaging in brain parenchyma

Isabelle Heukensfeldt Jansen (1); Nastaren Abad (1); Afis Ajala (1); Chitresh Bhushan (1); J. Kent Werner (2); J. Kevin DeMarco (2,3); H. Douglas Morris (2); Angeliki Pollatou (2); Gail Kohls (3); Haymanot Yalewayker (2); Samrawit Yalewayker (2); Maureen Hood (2,3); Sonja Skeete (2,3); Elizabeth Metzger (2,3); Vincent B. Ho (2,3); Thomas K. F. Foo (1,2); Luca Marinelli (1) | 1 – GE HealthCare Technology & Innovation Center, Niskayuna, NY, USA; 2 – Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; 3 – Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.

April 4, 2025

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Published in: Interface Focus. 2025 Apr 4;15(1):20240041. doi: 10.1098/rsfs.2024.0041.

Abstract

A phase-sensitive diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence is proposed with pulse timing optimization scheme to achieve velocity resolution of less than 20 μm s⁻¹ and an integrated image reconstruction and velocity map generation pipeline. The application of ultra-slow flow relevant to neurofluids is enabled by the use of a recently developed, ultra-high-performance brain MRI gradient system. By simultaneously reconstructing magnitude and phase data, both metrics that characterize diffusive fluid motion and coherent velocity maps are calculated non-invasively in human subjects, time-resolved over the entire cardiac cycle. The resulting acquisition and reconstruction of velocity maps in brain parenchyma, enabled by high-performance brain imaging systems, promises to be an important approach to investigating ultra-slow neurofluid flow and glymphatic circulation.

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