Possibilities of T2*-perfusion in the assessment of neurodegenerative changes in persons subjected to radiation exposure

Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) occupies the 2nd place in the structure of morbidity of the Chernobyl accident consequences liquidators (CACL). CVD was detected in 87% of the examined CACL with radiation dose ≤ 0.3 Gy, and the risk group for CVD includes CACL of 1986 year of participation in emergency recovery works, exposed to a dose of more than 0.15 Gy.Chronic insufficiency of cerebral circulation leads to neurodegenerative changes in the form of atrophy and gliosis of gray and white matter of the brain. Preliminary studies show that the results of radiation diagnostics do not always correlate with the degree of severity of the clinical picture, so it seems promising to use modern perfusion techniques to compare anatomical and functional changes in different categories of individuals with neurodegenerative changes. Data from magnetic resonance contrast perfusion in CACL (30 observations) and a control group of patients with cerebrovascular disease from the general population (30 observations) were analyzed. All patients were comparable in age (60-75 years), gender and general somatic status. It was found that in the study group among persons exposed to technogenic irradiation, more severe forms of neurodegenerative changes predominated (cortical atrophy grade 2-3, Fazekas grade 2-3) in 24 patients, which amounted to 80,0% of the total number of those examined, while in the group of the general population, neurodegenerative changes were less pronounced (cortical atrophy 0-1 stage, Fazekas grade 0-1) in 22 patients, which amounted to 73,3% of the total number of those examined. A significant change in perfusion parameters was revealed in the study group in the form of a decrease in the values of CBF, CBV and their ratios in various brain regions, and an increase in MTT time.