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Abstract #1229

Post-Contractile Blood-Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) Contrast in Skeletal Muscle at 7T

Theodore F Towse 1,2 , Christopher P Elder 1,3 , Emily C Bush 4,5 , Benjamin T Childs 4 , Samuel W Klockenkemper 4 , Shea A Sabin 4 , Jared T Bullock 4 , and Bruce M Damon 6,7

1 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, 2 Vanderbilt Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, 3 Radiology and Radiological Sciences, TN, United States, 4 Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, 5 Vanderbilt University Biomedical Engineering, TN, United States, 6 Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, 7 Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, TN, United States

Post-isometric contraction proton density and T2*-weighted signal transients acquired at 3T have been used to characterize muscle microvascular function in both the normal and pathologic states. At 7T, muscle BOLD contrast is expected to be more influenced by extravascular BOLD mechanisms than is observed at 3T, where muscle BOLD contrast is dominated by intravascular mechanisms. Our preliminary studies suggest BOLD based functional imaging of muscle is feasible at 7T and may afford greater insight into microvascular dysfunction by offering greater specificity to microvascular-scale structures and a higher contrast-to-noise ratio than are achieved at lower field strengths.

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