Hittmair K, Wimberger D, Rand T, Prayer L, Bernert G, Kramer J, Imhof H
MR Institute, University of Vienna, Austria.
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1994 Mar;15(3):425-33.
To evaluate the role of short-inversion-time inversion-recovery (STIR) sequences in assessment of brain maturation.
Twenty-seven infants and young children with normal neurologic development were examined by 1.5-T MR using a circularly polarized head coil. Axial T1-weighted and T2-weighted and spin-echo and STIR images were obtained. Signal intensity of different anatomic structures at individual sequences was classified relatively to reference sites and temporal sequence of signal intensity was observed.
Signal intensity changes on T1-weighted and T2-weighted spin-echo sequences occurred at ages described in various previous publications. On STIR images intensity changes became apparent at a time between T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. The advantages of the STIR sequence were improved assessment of myelination of subcortical cerebral white matter from 6 to 14 months and good contrast between white matter lesions and cerebrospinal fluid.
Our results suggest that from 0 to 6 months myelination can be assessed best using a combination of T1-weighted and T2-weighted images; from 6 to 14 months a combination of T2-weighted and STIR images seems to be advantageous; after 14 months the use of only T2-weighted sequences is sufficient. After 14 months STIR images may be useful in detecting small periventricular white matter lesions or in cases with retarded myelination and isointensity between gray matter and white matter.
评估短反转时间反转恢复（STIR）序列在评估脑成熟度中的作用。
对27名神经发育正常的婴幼儿使用1.5-T磁共振成像仪，通过圆极化头线圈进行检查。获取轴位T1加权、T2加权、自旋回波和STIR图像。将各个序列中不同解剖结构的信号强度相对于参考部位进行分类，并观察信号强度的时间序列。
T1加权和T2加权自旋回波序列上的信号强度变化发生在先前各种出版物中描述的年龄阶段。在STIR图像上，强度变化在T1加权图像和T2加权图像之间的某个时间变得明显。STIR序列的优势在于，6至14个月时能更好地评估皮质下脑白质的髓鞘形成，并且白质病变与脑脊液之间的对比度良好。
我们的结果表明，0至6个月时，结合使用T1加权和T2加权图像能最好地评估髓鞘形成；6至14个月时，结合使用T2加权和STIR图像似乎更具优势；14个月后，仅使用T2加权序列就足够了。14个月后，STIR图像可能有助于检测小的脑室周围白质病变，或用于髓鞘形成延迟以及灰质和白质等信号强度的情况。
