Abstract #3403

Wang Z, Fernandez-Seara M, Wang J, Detre J, Alsop D, Liu W, Benasich A

Continuous arterial spin labeled perfusion MRI was carried out in normally developing 6- and 12-month old infants while asleep without sedation. The resulting cerebral blood flow images showed an increase in frontal CBF between 6 and 12 months of age, consistent with prior observations using FDG-PET. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using perfusion MRI to noninvasively monitor functional brain development.