# Early Detection of Vascular Dysfunction Using Biomarkers from Lagrangian Carotid Strain Imaging

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2021 · $646,020

## Abstract

Abstract
 Current clinical criteria for treatment of atherosclerotic plaque, or atheromas, have focused primarily on
percent stenosis of the vessel. However, measures of occlusion (percent stenosis) do not identify those
plaques that are prone to rupture, which may release emboli into the blood stream feeding sensitive cerebral
vasculature. A novel approach, Lagrangian carotid strain imaging, where tissue displacements are precisely
measured during pulsation of blood through the artery has been developed. We propose to measure `strain
indices,' that include the maximum accumulated axial, lateral, and shear strain estimated over the cardiac
cycle, to probe the detailed mechanical properties of early plaque. We believe these strain indices will prove to
be valuable vascular biomarkers to indicate vascular aging and possible plaque vulnerability.
 Our preliminary results demonstrate the ability to differentiate between soft and stiff regions in plaque
under in-vivo clinical imaging conditions. Our definition of `vulnerable plaque' or `vulnerable patient' relies on
the identification of lipidic depositions or softer plaques, i.e., those that undergo large axial or lateral
deformations and/or large shearing strains during the cardiac cycle. Capability of strain tensor imaging and
vascular biomarkers to characterize plaque severity from its early stages to a mature plaque lesion will be
evaluated and quantified.
 A study on asymptomatic volunteers and patients also is proposed. The volunteer will provide values
for vascular strain indices normalized to age-related vascular stiffening. The results will enable us to establish
trends in age-related variations in vascular stiffness and to determine deviations that could establish vascular
aging criteria. Interventions to reverse vascular aging might then be used, for example lifestyle modifications
and common medical therapies. Strain imaging results will be validated and complimented by three-
dimensional (3D) carotid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on a selected group of high-risk volunteers, along
with 3D carotid MRI and 3D histopathological analysis of the entire excised plaque on patients to better
understand plaque composition and structure. Validation of our results will foster use of real-time noninvasive
ultrasound strain imaging as a screening tool for identifying human subjects susceptible to vascular aging
and/or developing plaque prone to rupture or micro-embolization that could lead to `silent strokes' and possible
vascular cognitive impairment. The patient study will also enable comparison of strain indices and carotid MRI
to the ground truth, namely the excised plaque.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10214678
- **Project number:** 5R01HL147866-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** TOMY VARGHESE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $646,020
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-15 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10214678

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10214678, Early Detection of Vascular Dysfunction Using Biomarkers from Lagrangian Carotid Strain Imaging (5R01HL147866-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10214678. Licensed CC0.

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