Xiao Wang1, Ming Lu1, Xiao-Hong Zhu1, Yi Zhang1, Wei Chen1
1Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
In the present study, the absolute CBF increase induced by transient mild hypercapnia in the rat brain was directly compared using the SR-T1app method at 9.4T and 16.4T. The results show a consistent Δ R1app, and thus Δ CBF induced by hypercapnia although the absolute T1app was significantly longer at 16.4T than that at 9.4T under both normocapnia and hypercapnia conditions. The magnetic field strength independence of Δ R1app, along with a good agreement of CBF change calculated with the SR-T1app method and with the CASL technique further demonstrates that the SR-T1app method provides a noninvasive, simple and efficient way to image and quantify CBF change induced by physiological and pathological perturbations in the rat brain.