MR Elastography Can Be Used to Measure Brain Stiffness Changes as a Result of Altered Cranial Venous Drainage During Jugular Compression, AJNR 2015

“...Conclusion: In healthy subjects, those who do not divert venous blood through extrajugular pathways during jugular compression have higher brain stiffness than those who do, likely as a result of increased neurovascular pressure. While this study did not confirm our hypothesis that jugular compression increases brain viscoelasticity in all subjects, it has shown that the MRE technique can measure changes in brain tissue viscoelasticity in this context and suggests that MRE could be a useful tool to measure brain mechanical properties of patients with SILPAH, including during jugular compression. These findings may help elucidate the mechanisms of SILPAH and the means by which jugular compression improves symptoms, and they may also be useful for other conditions in which jugular flow is restricted…”

source/full paper: http://www.ajnr.org/content/36/10/1971.full