QUANTITATIVE CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW ASSESSMENT BY ARTERIAL SPIN LABELING AND QUANTITATIVE 2D PHASE-CONTRAST ANGIOGRAPHY

 

Popov V., Stankevich Yu., Bogomyakova O., Vasilkiv L., Tulupov A.

 

The Institute International Tomography Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Novosibirsk, Russia.

To evaluate the capabilities of quantitative assessment of cerebral blood flow using non-contrast MR perfusion and quantitative 2D phase-contrast angiography.

Materials and methods. A prospective cohort pilot study of 20 normal healthy volunteers was performed on a 3T MR machine using a routine scanning protocol, which was supplemented by pseudo-continuous ASL for non-contrast perfusion assessment of the brain, and 2D phase-contrast angiography (2D PCA) to assess the blood flow velocity in the lumen of the cervical segments of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries. Furthermore, we performed segmentation and normalization of T1-WI to assess the volume and relative mass of the volunteers' brains, using physiological density values for white and gray matter.

Results. According to the ASL data, CBF (ml/100g/min; mean±Std) of white matter (17,36±2,57) and gray matter (46,50±6,56) of the brain were separately calculated with an estimate of total CBF (63,86±8,69). As a result of T1-WI segmentation, we obtained a volume (1117,23±83,50 cm3) and a mass (1167,51±87,26 grams) of the brain. By quantitative 2D PCA data, the mean flow velocity (ml/sec) was estimated in the right (4,24±0,80) and left (4,05±0,58) internal carotid arteries, as well as in the right (1,48±0,64) and left (1,87±0,64) vertebral arteries. By mathematical model transformations, the total CBF by quantitative 2D PCA was 59,85±7,36 ml/100g/min. There is a strong significant positive correlation between the total CBF values obtained from arterial spin labeling (ASL) and quantitative 2D PCA (r=0,84; p<0,001).

Discussion. The presented results demonstrate the validity of data obtained using non-contrast perfusion MRI and 2D PCA. A similar approach was previously described in a study by N. Wagenaar et al. in 2019 and Feng-Yi Su et al. in 2023, where the authors noted the significance of the proposed method. The results of this study confirm the possibility of using ASL for quantitative assessment with the acquisition of absolute values of total cerebral perfusion and in separate areas of interest according to the previously developed algorithm. On the other hand, the approach demonstrates the possibility of using quantitative 2D PCA in the relative assessment of cerebral perfusion. However, the existing issues in assessing the brain's weight parameters and applicability in various pathological conditions require further study.

Conclusion. In the study we obtained the values of cerebral perfusion according to ASL data and volumetric blood flow rates in the lumen of the brachiocephalic arteries according to quantitative 2D PCA data. We performed the comparison of cerebral and total blood flow data by mathematical transformations and determination of brain mass. The results demonstrated a strong direct correlation between the presented data, suggesting promising prospects for further scientific research.

 

Keywords: phase-contrast angiography; non-contrast MR perfusion; cerebral perfusion; pCASL.

 


Corresponding author: Popov V.V., e-mail: Этот e-mail адрес защищен от спам-ботов, для его просмотра у Вас должен быть включен Javascript

 

 

For citation: Popov V., Stankevich Yu., Bogomyakova O., Vasilkov L., Tulupov A. Quantitative cerebral blood flow assessment by arterial spin labeling and quantitative 2d phase-contrast angiography. REJR 2024; 14(4):7-17. DOI: 10.21569/2222-7415-2024-14-4-7-17.

Received: 27.06.24                 Accepted: 10.10.24