Fast, Quantitative, Perfusion-Based functional-MRI

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请中描述的项目旨在将动脉自旋标记（ASL）灌注测量定位为研究脑功能的重要实用工具。我们建议开发一种动脉自旋标记系统，结合使用单独的标记线圈进行连续标记，使用Turbo-ASL方案和快速、反向螺旋采集图像，以增加可选的BOLD灵敏度。有了这个基础设施，这个项目的主要目标将是开发实验设计和分析协议，以进行基于脑灌注测量的事件相关功能MRI实验。这将需要开发一种新的数学模型，用于从ASL信号定量灌注。该项目还将涉及表征的灌注响应单个事件，如ASL观察到的，以及ASL时间序列数据的时间和空间噪声的统计特性的综合研究。 我们的研究人员团队在ASL和BOLD成像、图像采集和功能图像的统计处理方面拥有丰富的经验，因此非常适合在拟议项目中取得成功。从长远来看，我们希望超越这一建议的范围，并开发方法来进行定量时间序列测量灌注和使用有关灌注脉冲响应函数的知识，以更好地了解BOLD响应从定量生理的角度来看。这些发展将是非常有用的ASL灌注成像作为一个强大的工具，用于研究脑功能的使用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The project described in this application aims to position arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion measurement as a significant, practical tool for the study of brain function. We propose to develop an arterial spin labeling system by combining the use of a separate labeling coil for continuous labeling with a Turbo-ASL scheme and fast, reverse spiral acquisition of the images, for added optional BOLD sensitivity. With this infrastructure in place, the main thrust of this project will be to develop the experimental design and analysis protocol to carry out event-related functional MRI experiments based on cerebral perfusion measurements. This will require the development of a new mathematical model for quantification of perfusion from ASL signal. The project will also involve characterization of the perfusion response to single events, as observed by ASL, as well as a comprehensive study of the statistical properties of the temporal and spatial noise in ASL time series data. Our team of investigators has extensive experience in ASL and BOLD imaging, image acquisition, and the statistical processing of functional images, and is therefore well suited to be successful on the proposed project. In the long term, we hope to go beyond the scope of this proposal and develop the methodology to make quantitative time series measurements of perfusion and use the knowledge gained about the perfusion impulse response function to better understand the BOLD response from a quantitative physiological point of view. These developments will be quite instrumental to the use of ASL perfusion imaging as a powerful tool for the study of brain function.