Contrast-enhanced ultrasound to visualize hemodynamic changes after rodent spinal cord injury

Abstract

OBJECTIVETraumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) causes an almost complete loss of blood flow at the site of injury (primary injury) as well as significant hypoperfusion in the penumbra of the injury. Hypoperfusion in the penumbra progresses after injury to the spinal cord and is likely to be a major contributor to progressive cell death of spinal cord tissue that was initially viable (secondary injury). Neuroprotective treatment strategies seek to limit secondary injury. Clinical monitoring of the temporal and spatial patterns of blood flow within the contused spinal cord is currently not feasible. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether ultrafast contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) Doppler allows for detection of local hemodynamic changes within an injured rodent spinal cord in real time.METHODSA novel ultrafast CEUS Doppler technique was developed utilizing a research ultrasound platform combined with a 15-MHz linear array transducer. Ultrafast plane-wave acquisitions enabled the separati...