David Bonekamp1, Xu Li1, 2, Richard Leigh3, Peter C. van Zijl1, 2, Peter B. Barker1, 2
1Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; 2FM Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States; 3Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
Perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) performed using bolus injection of Gd-DTPA is traditionally analyzed based on changes in brain signal relaxation times (T2*,T2 and T1) associated with passage of contrast through the brain. Here, the feasibility of dynamic Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) of cerebral blood flow (CBF) is shown. The expected linear susceptibility-contrast concentration relationship and the independence of contrast location (intra- or extravascular) on susceptibility are advantages over existing methods. The presented pilot study results show qualitative agreement between ΔR2* and Δχ CBF perfusion images for white matter. Current limitations exist for CBF determination in the brain periphery (gray matter).