Open AccessQualitative MRI: Evidence of Usual Aging in the Brain
Author(s) -
Peter Kapeller,
Reinhold Schmidt,
Franz Fazekas
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
topics in magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.547
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1536-1004
pISSN - 0899-3459
DOI - 10.1097/01.rmr.0000172668.02575.18
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance imaging , hyperintensity , medicine , proton magnetic resonance , socioeconomic status , life expectancy , psychology , neuroscience , radiology , nuclear magnetic resonance , population , environmental health , physics
The understanding of aging in our society with steadily increasing life expectancy is an important challenge in medical science since socioeconomic pressure increases in parallel. Magnetic resonance imaging is a most useful tool to explore age related changes in the central nervous system especially in the brain. This article will focus on current knowledge and importance of such changes. Special attention will paid to white matter hyperintensities in terms of occurrence and progression and cerebral microbleeds in terms of their association to various diseases and their possible influence on thrombolytic therapy. Furthermore the meaning of darkening of the basal ganglia will be discussed and, in more general terms, the occurrence of virchow robin spaces and changes in cerebral metabolites assessable by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.