Abstract #2214

AIF Induced Limits of Parameter Uncertainty in Pharmakokinetic Models of Pre-Clinical DCE-MRI

Tammo Rukat¹,², Simon Walker-Samuel³, Stefan A. Reinsberg¹

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; ²Institut fr Physik, Humboldt Universitt zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; ³Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom

The reliability of small animal DCE-MRI data analysis with quantitative pharmakokinetic models depends strongly on the time course of contrast agent (CA) administration, known as arterial input function (AIF). In this study the dependence of the intrinsic limits of a parameter predictability on the width of the AIF-peak (i.e. the speed of CA administration) is quantified to provide investigators with a tool to determine reasonable limits for CA administration protocols.