AIF Correction for Non-Uniform K-Space Data Weighting Effects in First-Pass Cardiac Perfusion MRI

Sohae Chung¹, Leon Axel¹

To obtain first-pass cardiac perfusion images, a saturation-recovery preparation with TurboFLASH readout can be used to capture the contrast enhancement dynamics. However, when using a SR preparation, non-uniform k-space data weighting in the phase-encoding direction, due to data acquisition during the transition toward the steady state, can lead to a filtering effect. This may lead to systematic overestimation of the image-derived arterial input function (AIF), with a resulting bias in the perfusion calculations. In this work, numerical simulations were used to correct for non-uniform k-space data weighting effects on the AIF.