Magnetic Resonance Elastography of the brain: methodical evaluation and characterization of tissue parameters of primary brain tumors (gliomas)

• Applicant: Dr. Martin Reiss-Zimmermann
• Subject Area: Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy, Radiobiology
• Term: from 2013 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 243061265

Dynamic MR elastography (MRE) is an emerging technique for spatially resolved quantification of tissue elasticity. The tissue of interest is excited by an external actuator and put in vibration within an acoustic range (frequency range 20 - 100 Hz), followed by acquisition of the tissue displacement using a motion sensitive MR imaging technique. Initial studies of MRE primarily focussed on tissues that can be directly stimulated (e.g. skeletal muscles, liver). MRE of the brain is based on an indirect stimulation by deflection of the head. Initial studies on MRE of the brain investigated global changes of the brain parenchyma, as in multiple sclerosis and normal pressure hydrocephalus.The requested project is based on recent developments in mechanisms of actuation, MR sequence design and methods of data reconstruction, resulting in an increase of spatial resolution, which allows for evaluation of focal changes of the brain parenchyma. The proposed experiments focus on evaluation of viscoelastic properties of glioma and on how glioma can be differentiated from normal brain parenchyma. The aim of the study is a possible improvement of the multiparametric MR imaging of the brain in the preoperative staging in patients with gliomas.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Karl-Titus Hoffmann; Professor Dr. Ingolf Sack