title: Arterial spin labeling-fast imaging with steady-state free precession (ASL-FISP): a rapid and quantitative perfusion technique for high-field MRI.
abstract: Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a valuable non-contrast perfusion MRI technique with numerous clinical applications. Many previous ASL MRI studies have utilized either echo-planar imaging (EPI) or true fast imaging with steady-state free precession (true FISP) readouts, which are prone to off-resonance artifacts on high-field MRI scanners. We have developed a rapid ASL-FISP MRI acquisition for high-field preclinical MRI scanners providing perfusion-weighted images with little or no artifacts in less than 2 s. In this initial implementation, a flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) ASL preparation was combined with a rapid, centrically encoded FISP readout. Validation studies on healthy C57/BL6 mice provided consistent estimation of in vivo mouse brain perfusion at 7 and 9.4 T (249 ± 38 and 241 ± 17 mL/min/100 g, respectively). The utility of this method was further demonstrated in the detection of significant perfusion deficits in a C57/BL6 mouse model of ischemic stroke. Reasonable kidney perfusion estimates were also obtained for a healthy C57/BL6 mouse exhibiting differential perfusion in the renal cortex and medulla. Overall, the ASL-FISP technique provides a rapid and quantitative in vivo assessment of tissue perfusion for high-field MRI scanners with minimal image artifacts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Candida L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Goodnough
authors.forename: Bernadette O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Erokwu
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Farr
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Darrah
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Dell
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Chris A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Flask
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010477:Perfusion / Q000379:methods*; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D013113:Spin Labels; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D013113:Spin Labels
keywords: arterial spin labeling; fast imaging with steady-state free precession (FISP); high-field MRI; perfusion