Hyperfine Portable MRI in Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is a medical condition in which an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) causes the fluid-filled spaces of the brain, the ventricles, to become enlarged. Enlarged ventricles and increased intracranial pressure can cause headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, cognitive impairment, gait disturbances and in severe cases even brain herniation or death. A tube or shunt can be inserted into the ventricles to drain the CSF either outside the body temporarily or into the abdominal cavity for long-term treatment. Sometimes such shunts need to be adjusted or replaced if fluid re-accumulates. Medical imaging scans, either computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are used to diagnose hydrocephalus in adults and children.

The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the performance of a newly developed, portable, low-cost MRI machine (Hyperfine MRI) in diagnosing and following patients with hydrocephalus in comparison to routine clinical CT or MRI. Outpatients with known or suspected hydrocephalus with or without ventricular shunts will be recruited to undergo Hyperfine MRI in conjunction with their routine clinical imaging. We will evaluate both the feasibility and acceptability of using the Hyperfine unit in the outpatient setting as well as the performance of Hyperfine MRI images in identifying hydrocephalus and other key brain imaging features relative to routine CT and MRI.