Finding the Fire: Mapping Brain Temperature Elevations as a Surrogate of Focal Neuroinflammation
摘要
A persistent, low-level neuroinflammatory state is a pathophysiological characteristic of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and epilepsy, among other neurological disorders. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation is crucial for understanding the pathophysiology of these disorders, monitoring their progression, and developing effective treatments. It is equally important to find a way to visualize neuroinflammation in vivo, particularly given the scarcity of reliable techniques. Focal, sustained brain temperature elevations are directly related to various peripheral cellular and molecular biomarkers of inflammation, and serve as an indirect proxy of increased metabolic activity associated with neuroinflammation. Brain temperature elevations can be noninvasively visualized using volumetric magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging and thermometry (MRSI-t) based on the chemical shift of water. In addition to reviewing the MRSI-t analytical framework and methodology, this chapter addresses applications of MRSI-t, including how it can be used to localize brain temperature elevations indicative of central nervous system damage and track treatment response.