Neurological Disorders

MRI Characterizations of Region Specific White Matter Hyperintensities and Vertebral Artery Stenosis

Abstract

Liya Wang, Adrian Lam, John Oshinski, Xiaodong Zhong, Chad A Holder, Felicia Goldstein, Diana Ge and Hui Mao

Cerebrovascular diseases cause brain degeneration and subsequent decline of cognitive functions. In this study, comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging approaches with both structural and blood flow imaging were used to characterize the white matter hyperintensity in the brain, cerebral blood flow, and obstruction of vertebral artery caused by stenosis in various cases of individuals with cerebral vascular and cardiovascular risks. It is demonstrated that vertebral artery stenosis characterized as vertebral artery narrowing and/or reduced blood flow velocity by MRI may be associated with the regional specific cerebral vascular comorbidities detected as white matter hyperintensity and reduction of cerebral blood flow. More specifically, unilateral vertebral artery stenosis led to asymmetric periventricular WMHs, while bilateral vertebral artery with lower blood flow led to symmetric periventricular WMHs. The comprehensive MRI protocol with functional and high resolution structural imaging sequences is capable of providing valuable information on blood flow supply in the vertebral artery and cerebrovascular ischemia in individuals having vertebral and cardiovascular abnormalities.