Steady State Effects on Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements Using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Perfusion MRI: A Simulation Study

Adam Espe Hansen¹, Henrik Pedersen¹, Henrik BW Larsson¹

Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) perfusion MRI of the passage of a Gd bolus requires rapid imaging, which will introduce steady state effects. We simulate the time development of the longitudinal magnetization during a typical R₁ time course and evaluate the influence of steady state effects on the estimation of cerebral blood flow (CBF). We find that steady state effects can seriously affect CBF estimates if the saturation prepulse is not exact. The CBF bias can be minimized to a few percent if a large alfa flip angle of the order of 30 degrees is used.