3D bolus tracking with frequency-shifted BURST MRI.
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to develop and test a 3D bolus-tracking MR technique for perfusion imaging of normal and pathological (infarcted) human brain.


METHODS
All experiments were performed on standard 1.5 T GE/Signa clinical scanners. Five normal volunteers and one patient with a subacute brain infarct were studied. Modified [frequency-shifted (FS)] BURST MRI was performed during injection of a bolus of Gd-DTPA (0.13 mmol/kg) in the antecubital vein. The 3D datasets were acquired with a time resolution of 2.2 s and an effective spatial resolution of 4.3 x 4.3 x 6.4 mm. Three-dimensional maps of blood volume and bolus arrival time were determined by fitting a synthetic curve to the intensity time course on a voxel-by-voxel basis.


RESULTS
Both relative cerebral blood volume and arrival time maps demonstrated sensitivity to regional differences in blood supply in both normal brain and in the subacute brain infarction. The transit time maps showed arrival time delays of 5-7 s within and around the infarct and confirmed the diagnosis of left middle cerebral artery occlusion.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the measurements on both normal and diseased human brain demonstrated the ability to acquire valuable 3D information about brain perfusion using FS BURST MRI.
Duyn
J H
JH
Laboratory of Diagnostic Radiology Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
van Gelderen
P
P
Barker
P
P
Frank
J A
JA
Mattay
V S
VS
Moonen
C T
CT
D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013997:Time Factors
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA