Cerebrospinal fluid-based spatial statistics: towards quantitative analysis of cerebrospinal fluid pseudodiffusivity

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to analyze cerebrospinal fluid motion patterns and finds that fluid movement in the third ventricle is linked to memory performance.

Contribution

The novel CBSS technique enables automated spatial analysis of CSF pseudodiffusivity in brain regions.

Findings

CSF pseudodiffusivity in the third ventricle correlates with short-term and long-term memory performance.

Two distinct groups of CSF regions with contrasting pseudodiffusivity patterns were identified based on proximity to arteries.

The region closest to the third ventricle's origin shows strongest cognitive correlations.

Abstract

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation is essential in removing metabolic wastes from the brain and is an integral component of the glymphatic system. Abnormal CSF circulation is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Low b-value magnetic resonance imaging quantifies the variance of CSF motion, or pseudodiffusivity. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between the spatial patterns of CSF pseudodiffusivity and cognition.

We introduced a novel technique, CSF-based spatial statistics (CBSS), to automatically quantify CSF pseudodiffusivity in each sulcus, cistern and ventricle. Using cortical regions as landmarks, we segmented each CSF region. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 93 participants with varying degrees of cognitive impairment.

We identified two groups of CSF regions whose pseudodiffusivity profiles were correlated with each other: one group displaying higher pseudodiffusivity and near large arteries and the other group displaying lower pseudodiffusivity and away from the large arteries. The pseudodiffusivity in the third ventricle positively correlated with short-term memory (standardized slope of linear regression = 0.38, adjusted p < 0.001) and long-term memory (slope = 0.37, adjusted p = 0.005). Fine mapping along the ventricles revealed that the pseudodiffusivity in the region closest to the start of the third ventricle demonstrated the highest correlation with cognitive performance.

CBSS enabled quantitative spatial analysis of CSF pseudodiffusivity and suggested the third ventricle pseudodiffusivity as a potential biomarker of cognitive impairment.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12987-024-00559-z.

Figures