Relationships Between Lateral Ventricle Size, Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics, and Aqueductal Resistance in Young Healthy Adults

TL;DR

This study examines how cerebrospinal fluid flow and ventricle size relate in healthy adults, introducing new metrics to better understand brain fluid dynamics.

Contribution

The study introduces two ratio-based metrics and quantifies aqueductal resistance in healthy young adults.

Findings

Aqueductal resistance showed a strong negative correlation with Ratio-SV but not with Ratio-Area.

Males had significantly lower Ratio-Area compared to females.

Ratio-based metrics reduce the influence of physiological variations in evaluating CSF dynamics and ventricular morphology.

Abstract

Ventricular enlargement and abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation are closely associated in communicating hydrocephalus (NPH), yet their causal relationship remains unclear. Studying healthy populations may help clarify these mechanisms. Existing metrics for CSF dynamics and ventricular morphology are limited by physiological variability such as heart rate and brain size, and aqueductal resistance has been little studied in healthy cohorts.

To quantify aqueductal resistance and two ratio‐based indices—the CSF stroke volume ratio of the aqueduct to the cervical region (Ratio‐SV) and the lateral ventricle to total brain area ratio (Ratio‐Area)—in a healthy population, and to examine their interrelationships.

Prospective.

34 healthy young adults (17 female, 17 male; age, 25.2 ± 3.9 years old); 4 NPH patients (2 female, 2 male; age, 50–80 years old).

3 T MRI with transverse 3D T1‐weighted gradient echo, sagittal 3D Balanced Fast Field Echo (BFFE; gradient echo), and 2D CINE Phase Contrast (CINE‐PC; gradient echo) sequences.

Aqueductal resistance was measured on BFFE, Ratio‐Area on T1‐weighted images, and Ratio‐SV on CINE‐PC. Sex differences were also examined.

Wilcoxon test was used for group comparisons, and Spearman's correlation for associations among parameters, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

In healthy adults, mean aqueductal resistance was 72 ± 42 mPa s/mm3, Ratio‐SV 6.0% ± 2.3% and Ratio‐Area 4.5% ± 1.6%. Males exhibited a significantly lower Ratio‐Area compared to females (3.9% ± 1.3% vs. 5.2% ± 1.7%). Ratio‐SV was unaffected by the cardiac cycle. Aqueductal resistance showed a strong negative correlation with Ratio‐SV (r = −0.65) but showed no significant correlation with Ratio‐Area (r = −0.27). Ratio‐SV and Ratio‐Area were also uncorrelated (r = 0.08).

Ratio‐based metrics provide useful parameters for evaluating both ventricular morphology and CSF dynamics by reducing the influence of physiological variations. Combined with aqueductal resistance, these baseline data in healthy adults may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of NPH.

2.

Stage 1.

The brain contains clear fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which moves through a narrow canal known as the aqueduct. Both CSF flow and the size of the brain's ventricles can be influenced by factors like heart rate or brain size. In this study, we introduced two ratio‐based measures to better capture CSF dynamics and ventricular morphology, and we also combined these with aqueductal resistance. By studying healthy young adults, we identified meaningful relationships among these three parameters. These baseline data provide insights into normal brain physiology and may guide future research on hydrocephalus.

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