Abstract #3646

Assessment of Cerebral Perfusion MRI Using Arterial Spin Labeling and Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast in Individuals with Carotid Artery Disease

Bradley J. MacIntosh¹, Ediri Sideso², Manus J. Donahue¹, Atle Bjrnerud³, Matthias Gnther⁴, Ashok Handa⁵, James Kennedy², Peter Jezzard¹

¹Clinical Neurology, FMRIB Centre, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK; ²Acute Stroke Programme, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK; ³Medical Physics, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; ⁴Neurology, University hospital Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; ⁵Nuffield Department of Surgery, John Radcliffe, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK

Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) is the industry-standard perfusion MRI technique. It has been used extensively to characterise the effects of ischaemia in stroke patients. DSC is not suitable for all patients, however, and although rare the contrast agent is associated with potential side effects. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is non-invasive and may be a useful alternative perfusion MRI technique. In the current study we compare CBF maps from DSC and ASL directly and find a good correlation (R = 0.27 0.094, P < 0.01) between CBF maps in a group of 10 patients with carotid artery disease.