Pseudo Random Amplitude Modulation of Arterial Spin Labeling

描述（由申请人提供）：动脉自旋标记（ASL）在测量脑血流量（CBF）和脑局部灌注方面具有许多优点。这些测量对于中风、缺血、脑肿瘤和痴呆的研究、诊断和治疗具有重要意义。ASL是非侵入性的，便宜的，并且产生高分辨率的图像，很容易与在同一疗程中获得的其他解剖和功能磁共振成像（MRI）扫描相比较。ASL方法包括通过在成像体积近端的平面反转来标记流入的动脉旋。计算CBF的一个主要因素是标记质子从成像平面进入标记平面的传递时间。大多数标准的ASL序列都存在不能直接测量传输时间的限制。相反，他们依赖于一种分解旅行时间影响的方法，这种方法引入了多种混乱和限制来源

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Arterial spin labeling (ASL) has many advantages for the measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and regional brain perfusion. Such measurements are significant for research and diagnosis and treatment of stroke, ischemia, brain tumors, and dementia. ASL is non-invasive, inexpensive, and produces high-resolution images that are easily compared with other anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans acquired as part of the same session. The ASL method involves labeling inflowing arterial spins by inverting them at a plane proximal to the imaging volume. A major factor in the calculation of CBF is the transit time for the labeled protons to pass from the imaging plane and into the labeling plane. Most standard ASL sequences suffer from the limitation that they cannot measure transit times directly. Instead, they rely on a method of factoring out the effect of travel times that is introduces multiple sources of confound and limits signal-to-noise ratio, especially in white matter. Furthermore, standard ASL measurements are unable to determine whether the changes detected are truly reflections of changes in flow or the result of the alterations in transit times known to be involved in neural activation and stroke. In this proposal, we describe a novel method of arterial spin labeling that is able to directly measure transit times. Our method offers the advantages of standard ASL while removing some of its limitations. This is made possible by labeling the arterial spins according to a pseudo random sequence. The mathematical properties of the sequence used for pseudo random amplitude modulation, or PRAM, allow recovery of all the transit times present in the imaged tissue as part of a single integrated acquisition. Implementation of this method should provide novel insights into the details of cerebral blood flow at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels. Detailed specific aims are: Specific Aim 1a: Implement the pseudo random arterial modulation (PRAM) scheme on a Siemens 3T Trio scanner. Specific Aim 2: Validate the PRAM sequence developed in SA 1 using standard spin tagging and ASL techniques in phantoms. Specific Aim 3: Extend the validation studies to human volunteers undergoing visual stimulation by comparing the PRAM results to those acquired by standard PASL sequences.