PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Habermann, C.R.
AU  - Gossrau, P.
AU  - Kooijman, H.
AU  - Graessner, J.
AU  - Cramer, M.C.
AU  - Kaul, M.G.
AU  - Reitmeier, F.
AU  - Jaehne, M.
AU  - Adam, G.
TI  - Monitoring of Gustatory Stimulation of Salivary Glands by Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging: Comparison of 1.5T and 3T
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A0587
DP  - 2007 Sep 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 1547--1551
VI  - 28
IP  - 8
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/28/8/1547.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/28/8/1547.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2007 Sep 01; 28
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our aim was to compare different field strengths monitoring physiologic changes due to oral stimulation of parotid glands by using diffusion-weighted (DW) echo-planar imaging (EPI).MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven healthy volunteers were examined with a DW-EPI sequence at 1.5T and 3T before and after oral stimulation with commercially available lemon juice. The b factors used were 0, 500, and 1000 s/mm2. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were evaluated with a manually placed region of interest including the entire parotid gland. For comparison of results, a Student t test was used on the basis of the mean of the volunteer median values. To compare both field strengths, we calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient (r).RESULTS: DW-EPI MR imaging visualized the parotid glands of all volunteers. With 1.5T, the mean ADC before stimulation was 1.12 × 10−3 mm2/s ± 0.08 × 10−3 mm2/s. After stimulation with lemon juice, the ADC increased to 1.18 × 10−3 mm2/s ± 0.09 × 10−3 mm2/s. For 3T, the ADC before stimulation was 1.14 × 10−3 mm2/s ± 0.04 × 10−3 mm2/s, with an increase to 1.17 × 10−3 mm2/s ± 0.05 × 10−3 mm2/s after stimulation. For both field strengths, the increase in ADC after stimulation was significant (P < .001). High correlations between both field strengths were found pre- and poststimulation (r = 0.955, and 0.936, respectively).CONCLUSION: DW-EPI MR imaging allows monitoring of physiologic changes due to oral stimulation of parotid glands by using DW imaging with high correlation between 1.5T and 3T.