Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Multidelay arterial spin-labeling is a promising emerging method in clinical practice. The effect of imaging parameters in multidelay arterial spin-labeling on estimated cerebral blood flow measurements remains unknown. We directly compared 3-delay versus 7-delay sequences, assessing the difference in the estimated transit time and blood flow.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study included 87 cognitively healthy controls (78.7 ± 3.8 years of age; 49 women). We assessed delay and transit time–uncorrected and transit time–corrected CBF maps. Data analysis included voxelwise permutation-based between-sequence comparisons of 3-delay versus 7-delay, within-sequence comparison of transit time–uncorrected versus transit time–corrected maps, and average CBF calculations in regions that have been shown to differ.
RESULTS
The 7-delay sequence estimated a higher CBF value than the 3-delay for the transit time–uncorrected and transit time–corrected maps in regions corresponding to the watershed areas (transit time–uncorrected = 27.62 ± 12.23 versus 24.58 ± 11.70 mL/min/100 g, Cohen’s d = 0.25; transit time–corrected = 33.48 ± 14.92 versus 30.16 ± 14.32 mL/min/100 g, Cohen’s d = 0.23). In the peripheral regions of the brain, the estimated delay was found to be longer for the 3-delay sequence (1.52408 ± 0.25236 seconds versus 1.47755 ± 0.24242 seconds, Cohen’s d = 0.19), while the inverse was found in the center of the brain (1.39388 ± 0.22056 seconds versus 1.42565 ± 0.21872 seconds, Cohen’s d = 0.14). Moreover, 7-delay had lower hemispheric asymmetry.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study support the necessity of standardizing acquisition parameters in multidelay arterial spin-labeling and identifying basic parameters as a confounding factor in CBF quantification studies. Our findings conclude that multidelay arterial spin-labeling sequences with a high number of delays estimate higher CBF values than those with a lower number of delays.
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Editor’s Choice
The authors assessed delay and transit time-uncorrected and transit time-corrected CBF maps in 87 healthy controls. Data analysis included voxelwise permutation-based between-sequence comparisons of 3-delay versus 7-delay, within-sequence comparison of transit time-uncorrected versus transit time-corrected maps, and average CBF calculations in regions that have been shown to differ. The 7-delay sequence estimated a higher CBF value than the 3-delay for the transit time-uncorrected and transit time-corrected maps in regions corresponding to the watershed areas. In the peripheral regions of the brain, the estimated delay was found to be longer for the 3-delay sequence while the inverse was found in the center of the brain. This study supports the necessity of standardizing acquisition parameters in multidelay arterial spin-labeling and identifying basic parameters as a confounding factor in CBF quantification studies.