Kaspar
Josche Streitberger1, Dagmar Krefting2, Friedemann Paul3,
Dieter Klatt1, Sebastian Papazoglou1, Sebastian Hirsch1,
Jrgen Braun2, Ingolf Sack1
1Institute of Radiology, Charit - University
Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 2Institute of Medical
Informatics, Charit - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 3Neurocure,
Charit - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Physiological
aging of the brain is accompanied by ubiquitous degeneration of neurons and
oligodendrocytes. An alteration of the cellular matrix of an organ impacts
its macroscopic viscoelastic properties, which are characterized by
mechanical parameters such as stiffness and internal friction. To date Magnetic
Resonance Elastography (MRE) is the only non-invasive technique for measuring
the shear viscoelastic properties of living brain. This study compares the
decrease of brain stiffness with years of age in normal volunteers observed
by MRE with loss of brain volume found by MRI volumetry.