Michael Edward Kelly1, Christoph Wolfgang Blau2, Oliviero Leopoldo Gobbo2, Karen Mary Griffin3, James Francis Xavier Jones3, Christian Mattheis Kerskens2
1Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin , Ireland; 2Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; 3School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Alterations in cerebral blood flow and volume can present a considerable obstacle when interpreting BOLD fMRI studies. The purpose of this study is to develop a new fMRI technique, bolus-tracking arterial spin labeling (ASL) fMRI, which provides a quantitative assessment of blood perfusion during activation. A novel Fokker-Planck equation was derived to describe the physiological processes involved in cerebral perfusion. The new model was fitted to ASL data and the mean transit time (MTT) and capillary transit time (CTT) were calculated. A rat fMRI study was performed and a significant difference in MTT and CTT during activation was identified.
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