Research published in Nature by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science (KAIST) found that lymphatic vessels in the scull involved in the clearance of cerebrospinal fluid often become compromised with age. This finding was only possible through advances in imaging technology.
Using MR Solutions' 3T/17 preclinical liquid-helium free MRI system the KAIST researchers observed how the meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs), mainly in the basal part of the skull, are involved in the clearance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). They found that, as people age, the integrity of the mLVs and subsequent CSF drainage is impaired.
The team's findings are helping to better understand how these mLVs contribute to the neuropath physiological processes that are associated with the ageing process.
Professor Sung-Hong Park, Associate Professor of Bio and Brain Engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science, said: "It's only now with far better imaging systems such as MR Solutions' 3T MRI scanner that this type of research is possible."
The 3 Tesla MRI system provided preclinical molecular imaging of rodents in in-vivo applications. Two baseline reference scans were taken during the project with 32 dynamic scans with time interval of 4 minutes 36 seconds. A contrast agent was also used during the research with MR Solutions' Powerscan software solution providing data collection.
