Investigating gas-exchange and tissue perfusion in the human brain using a combination of proton and hyperpolarized xenon-129 MRI

This study establishes a correlation between cerebral perfusion and gas uptake using ¹H arterial spin labeling and T₂ weighted imaging for cerebral blood perfusion, and inhaled hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe brain MR imaging for cerebral uptake of a free-diffusible noble gas. Using arterial transit time and cerebral blood volume maps, along with xenon images, correlation coefficients between 0.34 and 0.63 was observed for healthy subjects between the ages 26 and 36 years. The distinct properties of water and noble gas opens up the opportunity to use them in conjunction to understand aspects of brain physiology.