Pia Wintermark1,2, Josef Pfeuffer3, Michael Hamm3, Richard L. Robertson2, Anne Hansen1, Janet Soul4, Simon K. Warfield2
1Newborn Medicine, Children Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA; 2Radiology, Children Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA; 3Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc., Charlestown, MA, USA; 4Neurology, Children Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA
Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have lead to the development of non-contrast agent based arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion weighted imaging (PWI) MRI to acquire repeatedly absolute measurements regional cerebral blood flow without administration of contrast agents. Our study utilizes a pulsed ASL-PWI MRI sequence in optimized protocols to measure perfusion in newborn infants. Perfusion maps with good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and spatial resolution were obtained in normal non-sedated term neonates, with adequate differentiation of gray matter, white matter, and basal ganglia. This should permit systematic prospective studies of brain perfusion in healthy and unhealthy newborn infants.
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