title: Cardiac arterial spin labeling using segmented ECG-gated Look-Locker FAIR: variability and repeatability in preclinical studies.
abstract: MRI is important for the assessment of cardiac structure and function in preclinical studies of cardiac disease. Arterial spin labeling techniques can be used to measure perfusion noninvasively. In this study, an electrocardiogram-gated Look-Locker sequence with segmented k-space acquisition has been implemented to acquire single slice arterial spin labeling data sets in 15 min in the mouse heart. A data logger was introduced to improve data quality by: (1) allowing automated rejection of respiration-corrupted images, (2) providing additional prospective gating to improve consistency of acquisition timing, and (3) allowing the recombination of uncorrupted k-space lines from consecutive data sets to reduce respiration corruption. Finally, variability and repeatability of perfusion estimation within-session, between-session, between-animal, and between image rejection criteria were assessed in mice. The criterion used to reject images from the T(1) fit was shown to affect the perfusion estimation. These data showed that the between-animal coefficient of variability (24%) was greater than the between-session variability (17%) and within-session variability (11%). Furthermore, the magnitude of change in perfusion required to detect differences was 30% (within-session) and 55% (between-session) according to Bland-Altman repeatability analysis. These technique developments and repeatability statistics will provide a platform for future preclinical studies applying cardiac arterial spin labeling.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Division of Medicine and Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adrienne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Campbell-Washburn
authors.forename: Anthony N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Jack A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Roger J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ordidge
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lythgoe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D013113:Spin Labels
chemical_list: D013113:Spin Labels