4D PC-MRI for CSF dynamics of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine: a feasibility study

Motivation: Understanding the fluid mechanics of the cerebrospinal (CSF) flow is important for creating more accurate models of flow dynamics in intrathecal drug delivery systems.Goal(s): We assess the feasibility of measuring with high-temporal resolution 3-directional CSF flow across all sections of the spine in healthy volunteers.Approach: We report peak-to-peak velocity, peak velocity, flow rate, total displacement, and display velocity vector fields for the CSF across the three spinal sections. Results: 3-directional CSF flow of the full spine can be measured with MRI. Our observations revealed varying CSF velocity profiles across three sections of the spine, indicating distinct pressure mechanisms along its length.Impact: Recent research have focused on the development of novel therapeutic strategies for CNS drug delivery though intrathecal space modelling. To achieve this and establish better boundary conditions, more precise measurements of spinal CSF flow through MRI are required.