Abstract #0028

Initial Experience with Pseudo-Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling (pCASL) in the Infant Brain

Mathieu Dehaes^1,2, Rudolph Pienaar², Janet S. Soul³, P. Ellen Grant^1,2

¹Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Childrens Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; ²Center for Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science, Boston, MA, USA; ³Department of Neurolory, Childrens Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labeling (pCASL) can improve our understanding of metabolic changes that occur with injury by providing quantitative information on cerebral blood flow (CBF). Here we report our initial experience with pCASL in the first four months of life including two neonates and four young infants. Three subjects were imaged within 24 hours of cardiac arrest and 2 of 3 showed marked whole brain elevated CBF indicating rebound hyperperfusion. pCASL has tremendous potential in improving our understanding of physiological changes with injury. Better characterization of normal subject is needed to determine if there are more subtle increases in CBF.