title: Reduction of arterial partial volume effects for improved absolute quantification of DSC-MRI perfusion estimates: comparison between tail scaling and prebolus administration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and mutually compare the tail-scaling approach and the prebolus administration concept for reduction of arterial partial volume effects (PVEs), because reproducible absolute quantification of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often hampered by PVEs in the arterial input function (AIF) registration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy volunteers were scanned in a test-retest study with 7-20 days between investigations to examine the quantitative values and the repeatability of CBF estimates obtained from the tail-scaling and the prebolus administration approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average grey matter CBF was 80 ± 18 mL/100 g/min (mean ± SD) using tail-scaling and 56 ± 18 mL/100 g/min using prebolus administration. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.52 for the tail-scaling approach and 0.86 for the prebolus administration concept.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both correction methods resulted in considerably reduced arterial PVEs, leading to quantitative estimates of perfusion approaching those typically obtained by other perfusion modalities. The CBF estimates obtained using the prebolus administration concept showed superior repeatability. Potential sources of uncertainty in the tail-scaling approach include the use of venous concentration curves influenced by PVEs or by geometric distortions (ie, vessel pixel shifts) in the steady-state period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Knutsson
authors.forename: Emelie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahlgren
authors.forename: Matthias J P
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Osch
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Markenroth Bloch
authors.forename: Yulia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Surova
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ståhlberg
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Westen
authors.forename: Ronnie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wirestam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; C072417:gadoterate meglumine
keywords: cerebral blood flow; dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI; perfusion; prebolus; tail scaling