Assessment of vibration modulated regional cerebral blood flow with MRI
Linghan Kong,
Suhao Qiu,
Yu Chen,
Zhao He,
Peiyu Huang,
Qiang He,
Ru-Yuan Zhang,
Xi-Qiao Feng,
Linhong Deng,
Yao Li,
Fuhua Yan,
Guang-Zhong Yang,
Yuan Feng
Affiliations
Linghan Kong
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Suhao Qiu
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Yu Chen
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Zhao He
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Peiyu Huang
Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310000, Hangzhou, China
Qiang He
Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd, Shanghai, China
Ru-Yuan Zhang
Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Mental Health Center Shanghai, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Xi-Qiao Feng
Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Linhong Deng
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China
Yao Li
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Fuhua Yan
Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
Guang-Zhong Yang
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding authors at: School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Yuan Feng
School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China; Corresponding authors at: School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Human brain experiences vibration of certain magnitude and frequency during various physical activities such as vehicle transportation and machine operation, which may cause traumatic brain injury or other brain diseases. However, the mechanisms of brain pathogenesis due to vibration are not fully elucidated due to the lack of techniques to study brain functions while applying vibration to the brain at a specific magnitude and frequency. Here, this study reported a custom-built head-worn electromagnetic actuator that applied vibration to the brain in vivo at an accurate frequency inside a magnetic resonance imaging scanner while cerebral blood flow (CBF) was acquired. Using this technique, CBF values from 45 healthy volunteers were quantitatively measured immediately following vibration at 20, 30, 40 Hz, respectively. Results showed increasingly reduced CBF with increasing frequency at multiple regions of the brain, while the size of the regions expanded. Importantly, the vibration-induced CBF reduction regions largely fell inside the brain's default mode network (DMN), with about 58 or 46% overlap at 30 or 40 Hz, respectively. These findings demonstrate that vibration as a mechanical stimulus can change strain conditions, which may induce CBF reduction in the brain with regional differences in a frequency-dependent manner. Furthermore, the overlap between vibration-induced CBF reduction regions and DMN suggested a potential relationship between external mechanical stimuli and cognitive functions.
