The mechanical and morphological properties of the cerebral vasculature can be studied by measuring blood flow dynamics of the feeding arteries. In this study, we used high resolution phase contrast MRI to measure the blood flow and vessel area of the common carotid arteries of children with and without sickle cell disease (SCD). Preliminary results show that pulse wave velocity and wave reflection is significantly higher in patients with SCD, suggesting increased vessel stiffness and downstream abnormalities in the vasculature. This method is clinically feasible and may provide useful insight into the vascular properties of children with cerebrovascular disease.
This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.