title: Perfusion and diffusion MR imaging.
abstract: Diffusion-weighted images of the rat brain were obtained using the pulsed-gradient spin-echo method. An attempt was made to extract perfusion-related parameters from signal intensity data taken from the caudate-putamen region of the images, by using a nonlinear least-squares calculation to fit the Le Bihan biexponential expression (Le Bihan et al., Radiology, 168, 497 (1988)) to the data. The perfusion-related parameters could not be obtained with sufficient accuracy to be useful, although the perfusion-weighted images appear to contain meaningful qualitative information. An analysis of the perfusion model is presented and shows why the Le Bihan pseudo-diffusion coefficient is particularly difficult to measure with reasonable accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Hunterian Institute, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Bruggen
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Busza
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Houseman
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Gadian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats