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Identifying systematic errors in quantitative dynamic‐susceptibility contrast perfusion imaging by high‐resolution multi‐echo parallel EPI
Author(s) -
Jochimsen Thies H.,
Newbould Rexford D.,
Skare Stefan T.,
Clayton David B.,
Albers Gregory W.,
Moseley Michael E.,
Bammer Roland
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
nmr in biomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.278
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1099-1492
pISSN - 0952-3480
DOI - 10.1002/nbm.1107
Subject(s) - nuclear magnetic resonance , voxel , relaxation (psychology) , contrast (vision) , temporal resolution , perfusion , magnetic resonance imaging , partial volume , image resolution , tracer , chemistry , dynamic contrast enhanced mri , spin echo , physics , computer science , optics , artificial intelligence , radiology , medicine , psychology , social psychology , nuclear physics
Several obstacles usually confound a straightforward perfusion analysis using dynamic‐susceptibility contrast‐based magnetic resonance imaging (DSC‐MRI). In this work, it became possible to eliminate some of these sources of error by combining a multiple gradient‐echo technique with parallel imaging (PI): first, the large dynamic range of tracer concentrations could be covered satisfactorily with multiple echo times ( TE ) which would otherwise result in overestimation of image magnitude in the presence of noise. Second, any bias from T 1 relaxation could be avoided by fitting to the signal magnitude of multiple TE s. Finally, with PI, a good tradeoff can be achieved between number of echoes, brain coverage, temporal resolution and spatial resolution. The latter reduces partial voluming, which could distort calculation of the arterial input function. Having ruled out these sources of error, a 4‐fold overestimation of cerebral blood volume and flow remained, which was most likely due to the completely different relaxation mechanisms that are effective in arterial voxels compared with tissue. Hence, the uniform tissue‐independent linear dependency of relaxation rate upon tracer concentration, which is usually assumed, must be questioned. Therefore, DSC‐MRI requires knowledge of the exact dependency of transverse relaxation rate upon tracer concentration in order to calculate truly quantitative perfusion maps. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.