Cerebral blood volume measurements by T*2-weighted MRI and contrast infusion

A reliable, accurate, and accessible method for measuring cerebral blood volume (CBV) has been developed based on T(*) (2)-weighted MRI and a 1-min infusion of gadolinium instead of a bolus. Computer simulations predict that this infusion CBV method will have a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) 3-5 times greater than that obtained by area-under-the-curve (AUC) methods, with high accuracy over a wide range of arterial, tissue, and MRI conditions. In six healthy controls, the CBV was 1.87 +/- 0.44 in white matter (WM), 3.40 +/- 0.44 in deep gray matter (DGM), and 3.84 +/- 1.87 ml blood/100 g tissue in cortical GM (CGM). The mean GM/WM ratio was 1.94. In five patients with bilateral carotid disease, the corresponding values were 2.63 +/- 0.33, 4.72 +/- 0.33, and 5.27 +/- 2.40 ml blood/100 g tissue, all of which were significantly different from controls. AUC values were generally higher and failed to demonstrate differences between controls and patients. The infusion method shows great potential for providing reliable, accurate, and accessible CBV values with the ability to discriminate physiologic or pathological volume changes under a wide range of conditions.