Nai-Ying Kuo1, 2, Yeu-Sheng Tyan1, 3, Jun-Cheng Weng1, 3
1School of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 2Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; 3Department of Medical Imaging, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
Radiological and nuclear medicine examinations as well as radiotherapy during pregnancy have been associated with a slightly increased risk of brain tumor. Radiation exposure during the embryonic period causes various diseases such as hydrocephalus, microcephaly, hippocampal atrophy and other brain disorder. The radiation exposure induced hydrocephalus is responsible for dilatation of the cerebral ventricles and disruption of vascular endothelial cells. Recently it has been demonstrated that manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) can be used to visualize neuroarchitecture. MEMRI may also be useful in the evaluation of radiation-induced central nervous system (CNS) disorder. Therefore the goal of our study is to assess developmental CNS disorder induced by prenatal radiation exposure with MEMRI. Our results showed that changes in longitudinal relaxation time (T1) induced by intracellular Mn2+ contrast agents and changes in volume were quantitatively observed in the hippocampal area, ventricles and entire brain of normal and radiation-exposed rats.