Post-processing correction of magnetization transfer effects in FENSI perfusion MRI data

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Biophysics
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Repetitive saturation pulses in flow-sensitive MRI sequences cause magnetization transfer (MT) effects.
• These MT effects impede accurate in vivo quantitative cerebral perfusion studies.
• Current methods lack robust correction for MT effects in perfusion imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the magnitude of MT effects in flow enhancement of signal intensity (FOVSI) imaging.
• To develop and validate a post-processing correction protocol for MT effects.
• To enable accurate quantitative in vivo cerebral perfusion measurements.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of MT effects induced by FOVSI sequences in rodent brains.
• Development of a post-processing algorithm to derive a correction factor.
• Application of the correction factor to cerebral flux measurements in white and gray matter.

Main Results:

• The MT effect was found to be consistent across individuals, allowing for a reliable correction factor.
• The derived correction factor effectively compensates for MT-induced signal changes.
• Quantitative cerebral flux values obtained post-correction align with established literature values.

Conclusions:

• A novel post-processing correction protocol effectively addresses MT effects in FOVSI imaging.
• This method enables accurate in vivo quantitative cerebral perfusion studies.
• The findings are crucial for advancing neuroimaging techniques and understanding brain physiology.