MR angiography of the brain arteries

Project description

In this study, we assessed intracranial artery disease in 1870 adult participant of the 7th Tromsø Study survey (2015-16) examined by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the intracranial arteries. The project covers several substudies, where the overall aims are to study

• the prevalence, determinants and prognosis of intracranial aneurysms
• the prevalence, determinants and prognosis of intracranial artery stenosis
• variation in the Circle of Willis
• methodological aspects and the relationship between and relative impact of intracranial, extracranial carotid atherosclerosis and structural brain changes
• relation between brain gray matter volume and pain tolerance
• relation between brain structural changes and cognitive function

Chief Investigator: Ellisiv B Mathiesen

 PI Circle of Willis study: Torgil R. Vangberg

 Internal members: Liv-Hege Johnsen, Jørgen G. Isaksen, Tor Ingebrigtsen, Roar Kloster, Marit Herder, Caroline Lind

 External collaborators: Asta K. Håberg (Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Olav’s University Hospital, and Dept. of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway), David Robben (ESAT-PSI, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Icometrix, Leuven, Belgium)

 Publications 2018-2022:

1.  Johnsen LH, Herder M, Vangberg T, Isaksen J, Mathiesen EB. Prevalence of intracranial artery stenosis in a general population using 3D-time of flight magnetic resonance angiography. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2023;32:107399. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2023.107399.
2. Hindenes LB, Ingebrigtsen T, Isaksen JG, Håberg AK, Johnsen LH, Herder M, Mathiesen EB, Vangberg T. Anatomical variations in the Circle of Willis are associated with increased odds of intracranial aneurysms: The Tromsø Study. J Neurol Sci 2023; 452:120740. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2023.120740
3. Melum TA, Vangberg T, Johnsen LH, Steingrímsdóttir ÓA, Stubhaug A, Mathiesen EB, Nielsen CN. Gray matter volume and pain tolerance in a general population: The Tromsø Study. Pain 2023;164:1760-1758. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002871
4. Johnsen LH, Vangberg T, Herder M, Ingebrigtsen T, Mathiesen EB. Prevalence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: impact of different definitions. The Tromsø Study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2022;93:902-907. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2022-329270.
5. Hindenes LB, Håberg AK, Mathiesen EB, Vangberg T. An incomplete Circle of Willis is not a risk factor for white matter hyperintensities: the Tromsø Study. J Neurol Sci 2021;420:117268. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.117268.
6. Hindenes LB, Håberg AK, Johnsen LH, Mathiesen EB, Robben D, Vangberg T. Variations in the Circle of Willis in a large population sample using 3D TOF angiography: The Tromsø Study. PlosOne 2020;15(11):e0241373. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241373

The study has been funded by grants for the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority: SFP1283-16, SFP1271-16, HNF1369-17, HNF1681-23, HNF1682-23.