Abstract #1742

Reduced Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) Pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling

Hesamoddin Jahanian^1,2, Douglas C. Noll^1,2, Luis Hernandez-Garcia^1,2

¹Functional MRI Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; ²Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

A reduced specific absorption rate (SAR) version of Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) pulse sequence is designed and implemented. Using a simulation study a set of pCASL pulse sequence parameters is found that allows reducing the flip angle of pCASL RF pulses (i.e. reducing SAR) without losing the inversion efficiency. The proposed set of parameters employs smaller slice selective gradients which leads to less acoustic noise. This makes it more desirable especially for functional MRI studies.