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摘要
Purpose: To determine normal T2-relaxation values from different brain areas in healthy adults, assess age-related T2-relaxation changes in those sites, and evaluate potential gender-related T2-relaxation value differences.
Materials and Methods: We performed proton-density and T(2)-weighted imaging in 60 healthy adults (male: 38, age range 31-64 years, mean age 6 SD 46.1 +/- 9.3 years; female: 22, age range = 37-66 years, mean age +/- SD = 49.5 +/- 8.3 years), using a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner. T(2)-relaxation values were calculated voxel-by-voxel from proton-density and T(2)-weighted images, and whole-brain T(2)-relaxation maps were constructed and normalized to a common space. A set of regions-of-interest were outlined within the basal ganglia, limbic, frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, thalamic, hypothalamic, cerebellar, and pontine regions using mean background images derived from normalized and averaged T(2)-weighted images of all individuals, and regional T(2)-relaxation values were determined from these regions-of-interest and normalized T(2-)relaxation maps. Pearson's correlations were calculated between T(2)-relaxation values and age, and male-female differences evaluated with independent-samples t-tests.
Results: T(2)-relaxation values typically increased with age in multiple brain sites; only a few regions showed declines, including the putamen and ventral pons. Sexrelated differences in T(2)-relaxation values appeared in basal ganglia, frontal, temporal, occipital, and cerebellar regions; males showed higher values over females in these sites.
Conclusion: Establishment of normative adult T(2)-relaxation values over different brain areas, with age and sex as co-factors, offers baseline values against which diseaserelated tissue changes can be assessed.
- 出版日期2012-2
