Temporal and spatial changes in Cerebral Blood Flow during fatigue resulting from maximum isometric contraction of the forearm

Motivation: While fatigue is a common symptom in neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's, there is currently a lack of MRI studies that have investigated the CBF response to fatigue. Goal(s): To use ASL MRI to capture dynamic changes in CBF as muscles fatigued during maximal isometric effort. Approach: ASL CBF images were acquired pre, during, and post exercise on 7 healthy volunteers. Results: Primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, putamen, and anterior cerebellum showed an increase in CBF followed by a gradual return to the baseline with a delay between the start of the decrease in CBF and the fatigue onset. Impact: As the use of MRI in neurological diseases involving fatigue continues to grow, the concurrent measurement of CBF alongside other physiological parameters holds the potential to yield valuable insights that could contribute to advancement of effective treatments and preventive strategies.