title: Feasibility of Using Pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion in a Geriatric Population at 1.5 Tesla.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) perfusion in a geriatric population at 1.5-Tesla.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 17 participants (mean age 78.8±1.63 years) we assessed; 1) inter-session repeatability and reliability of resting state perfusion in 27 brain regions; 2) brain activation using finger-tapping as a means to evaluate the ability to detect flow differences; 3) reliability by comparing cerebral blood flow (CBF) with pCASL to CBF with phase contrast (PC-MR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CBF (mean±standard deviation (SD)) for the whole brain grey matter (GM) was 40.6±8.4 and 41.4±8.7 ml/100g/min for the first and second scan respectively. The within-subject standard deviation (SDw), the repeatability index (RI) and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) across the 27 regions ranged from 1.1 to 7.9, 2.2 to 15.5 and 0.35 to 0.98 respectively. For whole brain GM the SDw, RI and ICC were 1.6, 3.2 and 0.96 respectively. The between-subject standard deviation (SDB) was larger than the SDw for all regions. Comparison of CBF at rest and activation on a voxel level showed significantly higher perfusion during finger tapping in the motor- and somatosensory regions. The mean CBF for whole brain GM was 40.6±8.4 ml/100g/min at rest and 42.6±8.6 ml/100g/min during activation. Finally the reliability of pCASL against the reference standard of PC-MR was high (ICC = 0.80). The mean CBF for whole brain measured with PC-MRI was 54.3±10.1 ml/100g/min and 38.3±7.8 ml/100g/min with pCASL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate moderate to high levels of repeatability and reliability for most brain regions, comparable to what has been reported for younger populations. The performance of pCASL at 1.5-Tesla shows that region-specific perfusion measurements with this technique are feasible in studies of a geriatric population.
authors.affiliation: The Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland.
authors.forename: Sigurdur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sigurdsson
authors.affiliation: The University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.affiliation: The Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland.|The University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Thor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aspelund
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rob J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van der Geest
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van Buchem
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lenore J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Launer
authors.affiliation: The Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland.|The University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Vilmundur
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gudnason
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Matthias J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Osch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010477:Perfusion; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013113:Spin Labels
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D013113:Spin Labels