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Stimulation-Induced Decreases in the Diffusion of Extra-vascular Water in the Human Visual Cortex: a Window in Time and Space on Mechanisms of Brain Water Transport and Economy

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Abstract

In a human magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) investigation at 3 T and high diffusion sensitivity weighting (b = 1,800 s/mm2), which emphasizes the contribution of water in the extra-vascular compartment and minimizes that of the vascular compartment, we observed that visual stimulation with a flashing checkerboard at 8 Hz for a period of 600 s in eight subjects resulted in significant increases in DWI signals (mean +2.70%, range +0.51 to 8.54%). The increases in DWI signals in activated areas of the visual cortex indicated that during stimulation, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of extra-vascular compartment water decreased. In response to continuous stimulation, DWI signals gradually increased from pre-stimulation controls, leveling off after 400–500 s. During recovery from stimulation, DWI signals gradually decreased, approaching control levels in 300–400 s. In this study, we show for the first time that the effects of visual stimulation on DWI signals in the human visual cortex are cumulative over an extended period of time. We propose that these relatively slow stimulation-induced changes in the ADC of water in the extra-vascular compartment are due to transient changes in the ratio of faster diffusing free water to slower diffusing bound water and reflect brain water transport processes between the vascular and extra-vascular compartments at the cellular level. The nature of these processes including possible roles of the putative glucose water import and N-acetylaspartate water export molecular water pumps in brain function are discussed.

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Abbreviations

ADC:

Apparent diffusion coefficient

AQP4:

Aquaporin 4

ASPA:

Aspartoacylase

BOLD:

Blood oxygenation level dependent

CD:

Canavan disease

D :

Diffusion coefficient

DWI:

Diffusion-weighted imaging

ECF:

Extracellular fluid

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

Glc:

Glucose

Hz:

Hertz

MWP:

Molecular water pump

NAA:

N-Acetylaspartate

ROI:

Region of interest

T:

Tesla

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Neurochemistry, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA

    Morris H. Baslow

  2. Center for Advanced Brain Imaging, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA

    Caixia Hu & David N. Guilfoyle

Authors
  1. Morris H. Baslow
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  2. Caixia Hu
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  3. David N. Guilfoyle
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Correspondence to Morris H. Baslow.

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Baslow, M.H., Hu, C. & Guilfoyle, D.N. Stimulation-Induced Decreases in the Diffusion of Extra-vascular Water in the Human Visual Cortex: a Window in Time and Space on Mechanisms of Brain Water Transport and Economy. J Mol Neurosci 47, 639–648 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-011-9700-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-011-9700-6

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