Optimising Image Readout for Perfusion Imaging at 7T

Emma Louise Hall¹, Penny A. Gowland¹, Susan T. Francis¹

Echo Planar Imaging (EPI) is commonly used in conjunction with arterial spin labelling (ASL) due to short image acquisition times. However EP images are affected by susceptibility artifacts and chemical shift artifacts, particularly at increased field strength. Here the use of True-FISP and FLASH acquisitions are compared to EPI based ASL measurements at 7T, signal-to-noise ratio and coefficient of variation are assessed for each acquisition method. Non-EP methods are shown to be advantageous at high in-plane resolution (1 mm), with True-FISP providing the best SNR, however slice coverage is limited due to SAR at 7T.