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AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Publication Preview: Published February 13, 2008

American Journal of Neuroradiology 2008;29:950.

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American Journal of Neuroradiology
DOI 10.3174/ajnr.A0951

BRAIN

Age-Dependent Normal Values of T2* and T2' in Brain Parenchyma

S. Siemonsen, J. Finsterbusch, J. Matschke, A. Lorenzen, X.-Q. Ding and J. Fiehler

From the Departments of Neuroradiology (S.S., A.L., J. Fiehler) and Systems Neuroscience (J. Finsterbusch), and Institute of Neuropathology (J.M.), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; and Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology (X.-Q.D.), Medical University Hannover, Germany.

Please address correspondence to Susanne Siemonsen, Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; e-mail: s.siemonsen{at}uke.uni-hamburg.de

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Physiologic age-related T2* and T2' values are required as reference for comparison with disease-related deviations. In our study, T2* and T2' values (T2 values as control) were determined with MR imaging in healthy subjects to determine standard values and investigate age-related changes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of 50 patients without intraparenchymal pathology and 10 acute stroke patients who underwent MR imaging including a T2 and T2* sequence with 3 echotimes were included. After calculation of T2*, T2', and T2 maps, the values of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) for each hemisphere were measured in 6 distinct regions of interest (ROIs).

RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between age and T2* values in the caudate nucleus (r = –0.34 Pearson correlation; P = .001) and lentiform nucleus (r = –0.67; P = .001) and a positive correlation in the occipital (r = 0.41; P = .001) and subcortical (r = 0.45; P = .001) WM. An age dependency for T2' values was only found for the caudate (r = –0.35; P = .001) and lentiform nucleus (r = –0.69; P = .001). T2' values in acute stroke were lower than normal in all patients with stroke.

CONCLUSION: Decrease in T2' and T2* values in GM and increase of T2* values in WM correlate with the progress of brain aging. Explanations for decreasing T2' and T2* values include iron deposition in the caudate and lentiform nucleus. In contrast to T2* values, there is no association of T2' values with the degree of leukoaraiosis. These age-dependent values can be used as a reference in neurovascular diseases and for the discussion of functional MR imaging data.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Siemonsen, T. Fitting, G. Thomalla, P. Horn, J. Finsterbusch, P. Summers, C. Saager, T. Kucinski, and J. Fiehler T2' Imaging Predicts Infarct Growth beyond the Acute Diffusion-weighted Imaging Lesion in Acute Stroke Radiology, September 1, 2008; 248(3): 979 - 986. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]