SCI News: New Imaging Technique Maps Vital Blood Flow
Scientists at Northwestern Medicine have made a landmark move in neurological research by creating a new functional MRI (fMRI) technique that visually shows, for the first time, the detailed flow of blood in the spinal cord.
Dr. Molly Bright, assistant professor of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, led the team that re-engineered fMRI methods—traditionally brain-focused—to make them applicable to the spinal cord. This is a big step in medical science, which has been very dependent on the brain to figure out what is going on in the spinal cord. However, vascular problems can be among the main reasons for spinal cord injury and the imaging being used currently has not been accurate enough to detect the small changes that are vital.
The innovative method revolves around the identification of spinal cord vascular reactivity, which is the measurement of how the blood vessels in the spinal cord can dilate to increase the supply. Dr. Bright explained that this "very essential transition" from the brain to the spinal cord required the team to be extremely detailed and perform many small adjustments to the MRI sequences already in use.
During the trial, participants had their fMRI done while they held their breath multiple times. This activity resulted in carbon dioxide accumulation, which in turn causes blood vessels to expand. Interestingly, the resulting vascular function images showed a pattern of differences in regional response times among the people tested, indicating that the researchers might have, for the first time, detected the blood flow routes of the individual arteries that supply the spinal cord.
The detailed vascular mapping that this technique offers is significant in that it can lead clinicians down a more informed path of both treatment and preventive care. By combining this with classic fMRI, doctors can precisely tell whether the interventions have brought about functional restoration in the injured regions of the cord. Early detection of the vascular supply being challenged in the areas of the spine, where cord compression is, may help physicians determine what will need more intense monitoring so they can implement timely interventions.
