Brain Temperature Measured Using Proton MR Spectroscopy Detects Cerebral Hemodynamic Impairment in Patients With Unilateral Chronic Major Cerebral Artery Steno-Occlusive Disease Comparison With Positron Emission Tomography

Background and Purpose— Brain temperature is determined by the balance between heat produced by cerebral energy turnover and heat removed by cerebral blood flow. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether brain temperature measured noninvasively using proton MR spectroscopy can detect cerebral hemodynamic impairment in patients with unilateral chronic internal carotid or middle cerebral artery occlusive disease when compared with positron emission tomography. Methods— Brain temperature, cerebral blood flow, and metabolism were measured using proton MR spectroscopy and 15O-positron emission tomography, respectively, in 21 normal subjects and 37 patients. Positron emission tomography images were coregistered with MR images and resliced automatically using image analysis software. Regions of interest placed in both cerebral hemispheres on MR images were automatically superimposed in these resliced positron emission tomography images. Results— A significant correlation was observed between br...