Arterial Spin Labelling-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Assessment and Its Applications.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Physiology

Background:

• The blood-brain barrier (BBB) regulates brain homeostasis by controlling substance passage.
• BBB dysfunction is linked to various neurological disorders.
• Current BBB assessment methods often rely on exogenous tracers with potential side effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL) based techniques for assessing BBB water permeability.
• To highlight ASL as an endogenous tracer method for evaluating BBB integrity.
• To discuss the clinical applications of ASL in brain diseases.

Main Methods:

• Review of three major Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL) techniques.
• Focus on using magnetically labeled arterial blood as an endogenous tracer.
• Assessment of water permeability across the BBB.

Main Results:

• ASL offers a non-invasive method to assess BBB water permeability.
• Endogenous tracers in ASL circumvent risks associated with exogenous agents.
• These techniques show promise for diagnosing and monitoring brain diseases.

Conclusions:

• ASL-based BBB water permeability assessment is a valuable clinical tool.
• This approach provides a safer alternative to traditional BBB evaluation methods.
• Further applications in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease are anticipated.