Dear MRI Insider,
The short- and long-term effects of concussions continue to be a major topic of discussion in sports. The adverse effects are concerning, both at the time of the injury and when an athlete feels that he or she is ready to return to physical activity.
To better assess athletes' current and postconcussion conditions, researchers from Vanderbilt University are using blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) to measure cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in certain brain regions.
They found that an increase in CVR correlated with acute injury, contributed to recurrent headache symptoms, and helped determine when an athlete could return to the field of play. Learn more in our Insider Exclusive, available to you first as an Insider subscriber.
Today also marks the release of a first-of-its-kind study from researchers at the University of Southern California. The group used high-resolution MRI to view the breakdown of blood vessels in certain areas of older brains, which, in turn, could lead to Alzheimer's disease.
The discovery, detailed in the January 21 issue of Neuron, involves the brain's protective blood barrier and how it can become "leaky" with age starting at the hippocampus, which is critical to learning and memory and is damaged by Alzheimer's.
In other MRI news, the Joint Commission has released updated accreditation requirements for diagnostic imaging service providers in U.S. hospitals and ambulatory care centers. Although the new rules emphasize imaging safety in positive ways, more specific guidance is needed, according to MRI safety advocates.
We're also pleased to offer an excerpt from the 2015 edition of the Reference Manual for Magnetic Resonance Safety, Implants, and Devices by Frank Shellock, PhD. The excerpt details the best use of ferromagnetic detection systems in the MRI suite to prevent accidents.
In addition, researchers in Cincinnati are using a specially modified compact MRI system to scan infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for pulmonary ailments and abnormal lung development. Their preliminary study found that free-breathing pulmonary MRI in the NICU with the revamped extremity scanner is feasible and offers diagnostic-quality images for the detection and assessment of pulmonary conditions.
Another noteworthy feature article describes how PET/MR images have led researchers for the first time to confirm evidence of neuroinflammation in key regions of the brain in patients with chronic back pain.
Finally, while it may sound like something out of the movie "Minority Report," fMRI could perhaps someday be used to predict future behavior, such as someone's propensity to commit a crime or succeed in school. In a review of past literature and outcomes, researchers from Massachusetts noted that MR brain imaging can help predict a person's capacity to learn or respond to drug treatment, as well as the potential for criminal activity and other health-related behavior.
Be sure to stay in touch with the MRI Community on a daily basis to learn more about novel research from around the world and how it is contributing to clinical practice.
