The Elements of Stroke

Brain injuries from stroke are both common and costly. The NIH has estimated that the total annual cost of stroke in the United States is $43 billion including direct medical care and the costs related to lost productivity. It has been recognized that rapid diagnosis and treatment is essential to limit neuronal cell death from either a bleed into the brain (hemorrhagic stroke) or a blockage that deprives part of the brain of oxygen (ischemic stroke). The Synchrotron Medical Imaging Team, a group of Canadian, US, and European scientists from diverse backgrounds are collaborating to better understand the underlying chemistry of stroke and how to best image and treat stroke patients. Clinical imaging of the brain is a major tool used for both the diagnosis and follow up of stroke patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in particular susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) can visualize the excess iron associated with small hemorrhages. Weili Zheng, Sam Webb, Mark Haacke and Helen Nichol have examined various MRI imaging modalities for their ability to quantitatively image iron and calcium in brains from people who died of stroke (Zheng et al. 2012, in press). Using SSRL’s XRF rapid scanning Beam Line 10-2 in parallel with MRI at Wayne State University they were able to map and quantif