Slice-accelerated gradient-echo echo planar imaging dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced MRI with blipped CAIPI: effect of increasing temporal resolution.

PURPOSE: To assess the influence of high temporal resolution on the perfusion measurements and image quality of perfusion maps, by applying simultaneous-multi-slice acquisition (SMS) dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced (DSC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: DSC-MRI data using SMS gradient-echo echo planar imaging sequences in 10 subjects with no intracranial abnormalities were retrospectively analyzed. Three additional data sets with temporal resolution of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 s were created from the raw data sets of 0.5 s. Cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume, mean transit time (MTT), time to peak (TTP), and time to maximum tissue residue function (T max ) measurements were performed, as was visual perfusion map analysis. The perfusion parameter for temporal resolution of 0.5 s (reference) was compared with each synthesized perfusion parameter.

RESULTS: CBF, MTT, and TTP values at temporal resolutions of 1.5 and 2.0 s differed significantly from the reference. The image quality of MTT, TTP, and T max maps deteriorated with decreasing temporal resolution.

CONCLUSION: The temporal resolution of DSC-MRI influences perfusion parameters and SMS DSC-MRI provides better image quality for MTT, TTP, and T max maps.