Small Vessel Disease Imaging


Cerebral Blood Vessels

Comparison of experimental time-of-flight (ToF) black-blood (BB) and white-blood (WB) imaging techniques for examining smaller cerebral blood vessels.

We use MR imaging to study pathology in cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD).

Our methods include T1-weighted volumetric imaging (to look for brain atrophy), T2-weighted and FLAIR imaging (to look for white matter hyperintesities), arterial-spin labelling (ASL) perfusion imaging (to look for hypoperfusion), diffusion imaging (to examine key aspects of tissue integrity) quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM, to look for iron deposition and microbleeds), and T1 and T2 relaxation time mapping (to examine subtle changes in tissue chemistry).

Over the past decade, we have played a significant role in the development of standards for imaging cSVD:

and its 2023 update:

In addition to exploring quantitative structural and functional measurements, we are also interested in developing clinically useful, high resolution MR angiography (µMRA) techniques to examine small arteries (<500 µm), such as the lenticulostriate and deep perforating arteries. Occlusion of these vessels have been implicated in cSVD. We are currently exploring the development of both white and black blood-based approaches (WB and BB, respectively).

Many of these activities occur in collaboration with Eric Smith of the Clinical Research Laboratory on Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Philip Barber of the Calgary Stroke Program.

 

Representative Publications

 

Prospective Trainee Requirements

Interest in cerebrovascular disease with a degree (MSc preferred) in Biomedical, Computer or Electrical Engineering, or Physics. A good grasp of digital signal processing techniques and/or experience with numerical optimization/modelling methods beneficial. Must have good oral and written English communication skills.