Published in MPW, 26 Nov 2013
Physicists in Canada have overcome an inability of ultrasound to map capillaries and other vessels in the brain by injecting micrometre-sized bubbles into the bloodstream. Although the technique has been demonstrated only on a model brain so far, it promises to be a simple, inexpensive way to provide a complete mapping of a real brain’s vascular networks.
The mapping of blood vessels in the brain is known to be an effective tool in studying diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Current technology, however, makes vascular mapping difficult. CT scans have a resolution of about 400 micrometres, which rules out all but the largest blood vessels. MRI using higher field strengths of 3–7 Tesla can reveal more vessels, but this is a costly process that is rarely available. More common, clinical MRI, on the other hand, has a resolution of 300 micrometres. […]
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