title: Inter-Slice Blood Flow and Magnetization Transfer Effects as A New Simultaneous Imaging Strategy.
abstract: The recent blood flow and magnetization transfer (MT) technique termed alternate ascending/descending directional navigation (ALADDIN) achieves the contrast using interslice blood flow and MT effects with no separate preparation RF pulse, thereby potentially overcoming limitations of conventional methods. In this study, we examined the signal characteristics of ALADDIN as a simultaneous blood flow and MT imaging strategy, by comparing it with pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL) and conventional MT asymmetry (MTA) methods, all of which had the same bSSFP readout. Bloch-equation simulations and experiments showed ALADDIN perfusion signals increased with flip angle, whereas MTA signals peaked at flip angle around 45°-60°. ALADDIN provided signals comparable to those of pCASL and conventional MTA methods emulating the first, second, and third prior slices of ALADDIN under the same scan conditions, suggesting ALADDIN signals to be superposition of signals from multiple labeling planes. The quantitative cerebral blood flow signals from a modified continuous ASL model overestimated the perfusion signals compared to those measured with a pulsed ASL method. Simultaneous mapping of blood flow, MTA, and MT ratio in the whole brain is feasible with ALADDIN within a clinically reasonable time, which can potentially help diagnosis of various diseases.
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Paul Kyu
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeffrey W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea; Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Hwan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kyongtae Ty
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Laboratory, Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea; Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sung-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008579:Meningioma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000175:diagnosis; D012039:Regional Blood Flow