Cerebrovascular and Stroke Imaging

The imaging of acute ischemic stroke has been a major focus of the 3 T diagnostic MR scanner since 1999. Nearly forty thousand people are afflicted by stroke each year in Canada. This debilitating disorder is a strain on the economy since many patients require long erm care and rehabilitation.  A major objective is to correlate MR imaging with clinical signs and symptoms, CT, and transcranial doppler (TCD) findings. Advanced MR imaging may allow us to formulate more rationale, early treatment strategies and help better understand early ischemic stroke pathophysiology.

The location of the Seaman Family Centre next to the Emergency Department of Foothills Medical Centre has allowed some world-leading imaging of acute stroke. More recently focus has shifted to also include the imaging of transient ischemic attack and minor stroke, as well as small vessel disease.

Investigators:

Philip Barber, MD Shelagh Coutts, MBBCh Andrew Demchuk, MD Peter Dickhoff, MD Richard Frayne, PhD Mayank Goyal, MD

Michael Hill, MD, MSc Adam Kirkton, MD Robert Sevick, MD Eric Smith, MD, MPH John Wong, MD

Key Publications:

Barber PA, Demchuk AM, Zhang J, Buchan AM. Validity and reliability of a quantitative computed tomography score in predicting outcome of hyperacute stroke before thrombolytic therapy.
ASPECTS Study Group. Alberta Stroke Programme Early CT Score. Lancet 2000; 355: 1670-4.

Hill MD, Buchan AM. Thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke: results of the Canadian Alteplase for Stroke Effectiveness Study. Canadian Medical Association Journal 2005; 172: 1307-12

Coutts SB, Simon JE, Eliasziw M, et al. Triaging transient ischemic attack and minor stroke patients using acute magnetic resonance imaging. Annals of Neurology 2005;  57: 848-54.

Barber PA, Hill MD, Eliasziw M, et al. Imaging of the brain in acute ischaemic stroke: comparison of computed tomography and magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging J Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2005; 76: 1528-1533.

Bristow MS, Poulin BW, Simon JE, Hill MD, Kosior JC, Coutts SB, Frayne R, Mitchell JR, Demchuk AM. Identifying lesion growth with MR imaging in acute ischemic stroke. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2008; 28: 837-46.

Harris AD, Coutts SB, Frayne R. Diffusion and perfusion MR imaging of acute ischemic stroke. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 2009; 17: 291-313.