A linear mixed perfusion model for tissue partial volume correction of perfusion estimates in dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI: Impact on absolute quantification, repeatability, and agreement with pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling.
The partial volume effect (PVE) is an important source of bias in brain perfusion measurements. The impact of tissue PVEs in perfusion measurements with dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) has not yet been well established. The purpose of this study was to suggest a partial volume correction (PVC) approach for DSC-MRI and to study how PVC affects DSC-MRI perfusion results.



A linear mixed perfusion model for DSC-MRI was derived and evaluated by way of simulations. Twenty healthy volunteers were scanned twice, including DSC-MRI, arterial spin labeling (ASL), and partial volume measurements. Two different algorithms for PVC were employed and assessed.



Simulations showed that the derived model had a tendency to overestimate perfusion values in voxels with high fractions of cerebrospinal fluid. PVC reduced the tissue volume dependence of DSC-MRI perfusion values from 44.4% to 4.2% in gray matter and from 55.3% to 14.2% in white matter. One PVC method significantly improved the voxel-wise repeatability, but PVC did not improve the spatial agreement between DSC-MRI and ASL perfusion maps.



Significant PVEs were found for DSC-MRI perfusion estimates, and PVC successfully reduced those effects. The findings suggest that PVC might be an important consideration for DSC-MRI applications. Magn Reson Med 77:2203-2214, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
André
A
Ahlgren
Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Ronnie
R
Wirestam
Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Emelie
E
Lind
Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.|Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.|Lund University Bioimaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Freddy
F
Ståhlberg
Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Linda
L
Knutsson
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D016014:Linear Models; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013113:Spin Labels
D013113:Spin Labels
ASL; CBF; DSC-MRI; pCASL; partial volume correction; partial volume effect; perfusion; prebolus