Multimodal MR imaging approach to evaluate the interaction between cardiac pulsation and perivascular CSF motion

We designed a non-invasive multimodal MRI approach to evaluate the relationship between cardiac pulsation and perivascular cerebrospinal fluid (pCSF) dynamics in humans. We utilized cardiac-aligned resting-state functional MRI and dynamic diffusion-weighted imaging to describe cerebral vascular events and pCSF motion, respectively. This approach revealed that changes in cerebral blood volume preceded an increase in pCSF motion, demonstrating the cardiac cycle’s effect on pCSF dynamics. Our results parallel preclinical two-photon imaging findings of perivascular CSF dynamics in mice. Our in-vivo assessment of cardiac pulsations influencing pCSF motion provides a non-invasive look into a crucial part of the human brain’s glymphatic system.