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Abstract #0784

Separation of Intra- & Extra-Vascular Spaces in Human Brain with DCE-MRI & 11C- Verapamil PET

Xiaoping Zhu1, John R. Cain1, Shaonan Wang1, Maria Feldmann1,2, Gerry Thompson1, Ka-Loh Li1, Marie Claude Asselin1, Alan Jackson1

1Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; 2Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom


Conventional multi-compartment kinetic models designed to identify the intra- and extravascular spaces in human brain failed in separating Ktrans from Vp due to the well-known covariance errors in the fitting procedure. An extended first pass model (EFPM) was implemented to reduce these errors. The new DCE-MRI method using EFPM significantly improved differentiation. Excellent accordance was found between the 3D EFPM permeability maps from DCE-MRI and 3D VPM-PET images. Strong separation between CP and surrounding veins has practical significance for partial volume correction of PET images. Good separation of Ktrans and Vp will help understanding roles of CP in drug delivery