Implementation and validation of ASL perfusion measurements for population imaging

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Cerebrovascular Physiology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) offers noninvasive regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement.
• CBF is a potential biomarker for neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• Implement and validate pCASL on a fixed MRI system within the Rotterdam Study.
• Establish a reliable method for CBF measurement in an elderly cohort.

Main Methods:

• An in-house pCASL sequence was implemented on a dedicated 1.5T MRI system.
• Validation was performed using a flow phantom and healthy volunteers, comparing with a commercial sequence.
• Data from 30 elderly participants were analyzed with and without partial volume correction.

Main Results:

• Differences in blood flow velocity, sensitivity, and signal variation were observed between scanners and corrected.
• Mean gray matter CBF in the elderly cohort was 52.4 ± 8.2 ml/100g/min (uncorrected).
• Partial volume correction showed variable effects across different brain regions.

Conclusions:

• Regional CBF measurements are now integrated into the Rotterdam Study for biomarker research.
• In-house pCASL implementation is a valuable alternative when novel sequences are unavailable.