A magnetic resonance (MR) compatible selective brain temperature manipulation system for preclinical study

Qingwei Liu1, Yu Cai1, Weili Lin2, Gregory H Turner3, Hongyu An21Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; 2Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA; 3Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USAAbstract: There is overwhelming evidence that hypothermia can improve the outcome of an ischemic stroke. However, the most widely used systemic cooling method could lead to multiple side effects, while the incompatibility with magnetic resonance imaging of the present selective cooling methods highly limit their application in preclinical studies. In this study, we developed a magnetic resonance compatible selective brain temperature manipulation system for small animals, which can regulate brain temperature quickly and accurately for a desired period of time, while maintaining the normal body physiological conditions. This device was utilized to examine the relationship between T1 relaxation, cerebral blood flow, and temperature in brain tissue during magnetic resonance imaging of ischemic stroke. The results showed that this device can be an efficient brain temperature manipulation tool for preclinical studies needing local hypothermic or hyperthermic conditions.Keywords: selective brain cooling, hyperthermia, hypothermia, brain temperature mapping, ischemic stroke