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A general kinetic model for quantitative perfusion imaging with arterial spin labeling
Author(s) -
Buxton Richard B.,
Frank Lawrence R.,
Wong Eric C.,
Siewert Bettina,
Warach Steven,
Edelman Robert R.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.1910400308
Subject(s) - computer science , voxel , arterial spin labeling , perfusion , signal (programming language) , biological system , artificial intelligence , radiology , medicine , programming language , biology
Recently, several implementations of arterial spin labeling (ASL) techniques have been developed for producing MRI images sensitive to local tissue perfusion. For quantitation of perfusion, both pulsed and continuous labeling methods potentially suffer from a number of systematic errors. In this study, a general kinetic model for the ASL signal is described that can be used to assess these errors. With appropriate assumptions, the general model reduces to models that have been used previously to analyze ASL data, but the general model also provides a way to analyze the errors that result if these assumptions are not accurate. The model was used for an initial assessment of systematic errors due to the effects of variable transit delays from the tagging band to the imaging voxel, the effects of capillary/tissue exchange of water on the relaxation of the tag, and the effects of incomplete water extraction. In preliminary experiments with a human subject, the model provided a good description of pulsed ASL data during a simple sensorimotor activation task.