Reversal of Early Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormalities Does Not Necessarily Reflect Tissue Salvage in Experimental Cerebral Ischemia

Abstract

After brief ischemic periods, normalization of the DWI does not necessarily imply that the tissue is normal. Neurons already exhibit evidence of structural damage and stress. Normal GFAP staining suggests that other nonneuronal cell populations may partially compensate for altered fluid balances at the time of DWI reversal despite the presence of neuronal injury. These observations suggest that caution is warranted when relying solely on DWI for assessment of ischemic damage.