Dual vessel arterial spin labeling scheme for regional perfusion imaging

Regional perfusion imaging (RPI) based on pulsed arterial spin labeling and angulated inversion slabs has been recently proposed. The technique allows mapping of individual brain perfusion territories of the major feeding arteries and could become a valuable clinical tool for evaluation of patients with cerebrovascular diseases. Here we propose a new labeling scheme for RPI where lateral and posterior circulations are labeled simultaneously. Two scans instead of three are sufficient to obtain the same perfusion territories as in the original approach, allowing for a 33% reduction in the total RPI protocol time. Moreover, the position of the inversion slabs with respect to vascular anatomy facilitates the planning and allows potentially better labeling efficiency. The new approach was tested on seven healthy volunteers and compared to the original labeling scheme. The results showed that the same perfusion territories and regional CBF values can be obtained.