RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effect of Normal Breathing on the Movement of CSF in the Spinal Subarachnoid Space
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
DO 10.3174/ajnr.A7603
A1 C. Gutiérrez-Montes
A1 W. Coenen
A1 M. Vidorreta
A1 S. Sincomb
A1 C. Martínez-Bazán
A1 A.L. Sánchez
A1 V. Haughton
YR 2022
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/early/2022/08/18/ajnr.A7603.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Forced respirations reportedly have an effect on CSF movement in the spinal canal. We studied respiratory-related CSF motion during normal respiration.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six healthy subjects breathed at their normal rate with a visual guide to ensure an unchanging rhythm. Respiratory-gated phase-contrast MR flow images were acquired at 5 selected axial planes along the spine. At each spinal level, we computed the flow rate voxelwise in the spinal canal, together with the associated stroke volume. From these data, we computed the periodic volume changes of spinal segments. A phantom was used to quantify the effect of respiration-related magnetic susceptibility changes on the velocity data measured.RESULTS: At each level, CSF moved cephalad during inhalation and caudad during expiration. While the general pattern of fluid movement was the same in the 6 subjects, the flow rates, stroke volumes, and spine segment volume changes varied among subjects. Peak flow rates ranged from 0.60 to 1.59 mL/s in the cervical region, 0.46 to 3.17 mL/s in the thoracic region, and 0.75 to 3.64 mL/s in the lumbar region. The differences in flow rates along the canal yielded cyclic volume variations of spine segments that were largest in the lumbar spine, ranging from 0.76 to 3.07 mL among subjects. In the phantom study, flow velocities oscillated periodically during the respiratory cycle by up to 0.02 cm/s or 0.5%.CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory-gated measurements of the CSF motion in the spinal canal showed cyclic oscillatory movements of spinal fluid correlated to the breathing pattern.SSASspinal subarachnoid space