Absolute quantification of cerebral blood flow: correlation between dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI and model-free arterial spin labeling

✍ Scribed by Linda Knutsson; Danielle van Westen; Esben T. Petersen; Karin Markenroth Bloch; Stig Holtås; Freddy Ståhlberg; Ronnie Wirestam

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 611 KB
• Volume: 28
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0730-725X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2009.06.006

✦ Synopsis

Purpose:

To compare absolute cerebral blood flow (cbf) estimates obtained by model-free arterial spin labeling (asl) and dynamic susceptibility contrast mri (dsc-mri), corrected for partial volume effects (pves).

Methods:

Cbf was measured using dsc-mri and model-free asl (quantitative signal targeting with alternating radiofrequency labeling of arterial regions) at 3 t in 15 subjects with brain tumor, and the two modalities were compared with regard to cbf estimates in normal gray matter (gm) and dsc-to-asl cbf ratios in selected tumor regions. the dsc-mri cbf maps were calculated using a global arterial input function (aif) from the sylvian-fissure region, but, in order to minimize pves, the aif time integral was rescaled by a venous output function time integral obtained from the sagittal sinus.

Results:

In gm, the average dsc-mri cbf estimate was 150+/-45 ml/(min 100 g) (mean+/-sd) while the corresponding asl cbf was 44+/-10 ml/(min 100 g). the linear correlation between gm cbf estimates obtained by dsc-mri and asl was r=.89, and observed dsc-to-asl cbf ratios differed by less than 3% between gm and tumor regions.

Conclusions:

A satisfactory positive linear correlation between the cbf estimates obtained by model-free asl and dsc-mri was observed, and dsc-to-asl cbf ratios showed no obvious tissue dependence.