Vascular Alterations and Recruitment in Spinal Cord Injury Revealed by Multislice Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) Perfusion Imaging

Guillaume Duhamel¹, Tanguy Marqueste², Michal Sdika¹, Mohamed Tachrount¹, Patrick Decherchi², Patrick J. Cozzone¹, Virginie Callot¹

The combination of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and perfusion imaging has the potential to be a useful tool in spinal cord injury (SCI) investigation. Assessment of mouse SC blood flow (SCBF), recently demonstrated to be feasible by flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery arterial spin labeling (FAIR-ASL), was based on single slice technique. However, multislice perfusion imaging matching DTI acquisitions would be required for lesion characterization. We then modified the original FAIR sequence to a FAIR-QUIPPSSII sequence, multislice compatible and optimized to mouse SC, and applied it along with DTI in a follow-up study performed over time on mice having received SCI.