Abstract #2752

Temporal Resolution and SNR Requirements for Accurate DCE-MRI Measurement of Microvascular Blood Flow and Permeability Using the AATH Model

Lucy Elizabeth Kershaw¹, Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng^1,2

¹The Research Institute and Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ²Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This simulation study investigated parameter accuracy for the AATH model, which allows separate measurements of flow and permeability. The influence of three key factors was assessed: temporal resolution, signal to noise ratio and error in the AIF peak height measurement. Results showed that a high temporal resolution is the most critical factor in ensuring parameter accuracy but this requirement can be relaxed if larger biases can be permitted and T_c need not be accurately measured. An error of 10 % in the measurement of the AIF peak height resulted in an error of at most 10 % in each parameter.