Nicole Wake1, Hersh Chandarana1, Koji Fujimoto1, Daniel K Sodickson1, and Sungheon Gene Kim1
1Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
The purpose of this study was to assess the
effect of linear and non-linear signal-to-concentration conversion methods on
the estimation of contrast kinetic parameters in T1-weighted
dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. A simulation study was conducted, using the Generalized
Kinetic Model with a population-based arterial input function, to compare the
two conversion methods in terms of the uncertainty in contrast kinetic parameter
estimation, influence by the error in the pre-contrast T1 value, and the effect
of flip angle, one of the important scan parameters. The results provide useful
information on how to interpret the results with the linear conversion method.
