Cerebral blood flow measurements in infants using look-locker arterial spin labeling

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cerebral blood flow measurements in infants using look-locker arterial spin labeling

AU - Amaral Varela, Marta

AU - Petersen, Esben T.

AU - Golay, Xavier

AU - Hajnal, Joseph V.

PY - 2015/6

Y1 - 2015/6

N2 - Purpose: To measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) using Look-Locker arterial spin labeling (ASL) in children under 1 year of age and to investigate the advantages of using subject-specific estimates of ASL model parameters in this population. Materials and Methods: Of 12 scanned infants, we successfully acquired CBF maps in 7 (postmenstrual age: 32 to 78 weeks) using a Look-Locker ASL scheme and both adult literature-derived and subject-specific model parameters. ASL global CBF measurements were compared with independent global CBF measurements obtained in the same scanning session using phase-contrast angiography. Results: Measured global CBF values ranged from 24 to 56 mL/100g/min in the scanned infants, increasing significantly with postmenstrual age (ρSpearman=0.89, P-value=0.01). Using subject-specific model parameters yielded CBF estimates in significantly better agreement with phase-contrast angiography values (P-value: 0.80) than when standard adult parameters were used (P-value: 0.04). Conclusion: Look-Locker ASL can be used to measure CBF in infants and its accuracy is improved with the use of infant-specific auxiliary parameters, particularly blood and tissue T1, which were much more variable in the imaged infants in than adults. 

AB - Purpose: To measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) using Look-Locker arterial spin labeling (ASL) in children under 1 year of age and to investigate the advantages of using subject-specific estimates of ASL model parameters in this population. Materials and Methods: Of 12 scanned infants, we successfully acquired CBF maps in 7 (postmenstrual age: 32 to 78 weeks) using a Look-Locker ASL scheme and both adult literature-derived and subject-specific model parameters. ASL global CBF measurements were compared with independent global CBF measurements obtained in the same scanning session using phase-contrast angiography. Results: Measured global CBF values ranged from 24 to 56 mL/100g/min in the scanned infants, increasing significantly with postmenstrual age (ρSpearman=0.89, P-value=0.01). Using subject-specific model parameters yielded CBF estimates in significantly better agreement with phase-contrast angiography values (P-value: 0.80) than when standard adult parameters were used (P-value: 0.04). Conclusion: Look-Locker ASL can be used to measure CBF in infants and its accuracy is improved with the use of infant-specific auxiliary parameters, particularly blood and tissue T1, which were much more variable in the imaged infants in than adults. 

KW - Blood flow quantification

KW - Cerebral perfusion measurements

KW - Magnetic resonance imaging

KW - Neonatal imaging

KW - Pediatric neurology and hemodynamics

KW - Phase contrast angiography

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84906015911&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/jmri.24716

DO - 10.1002/jmri.24716

M3 - Article

SN - 1053-1807

VL - 41

SP - 1591

EP - 1600

JO - Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

JF - Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

IS - 6

ER -