Detecting DWI-Negative Strokes in Rat Models of Acute Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Description
It has been reported that approximately 6.8% of patients may exhibit DWI-negative results in the early phase of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The primary reason is the reopening of obstructed vessels or compensation by collateral circulation, resulting in the rapid normalization of DWI signals. In conclusion, early DWI examination in AIS patients may lead to missed diagnoses. Therefore, it is essential to develop a method that can accurately, objectively, and effectively identify AICAO combined with AIS in the early stage, which is critical for guiding clinical decisions and improving patient outcomes. In a study by Krishna A. Dani involving 32 AIS patients, MRS detected increased lactate levels in some patients earlier than the appearance of positive DWI findings. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that MRS can detect early brain ischemia and hypoxia in AICAO combined with AIS patients and may identify AIS earlier than DWI sequences, thus guiding clinical decisions. In this study, we established a rat AICAO model and performed DWI and MRS scans at two- and twelve-hours post-modeling to evaluate whether MRS can detect early brain damage in AICAO combined with AIS more effectively than DWI.