Abstract #2181

Quantitative Cerebral and Retinal Blood Flow Using Continuous Arterial Spin Labeling MRI and Fluorescent Microsphere

Yen-Yu Ian Shih¹,², Bryan H. De La Garza², Shiliang Huang², Guang Li², Lin Wang³, Timothy O. Duong⁴

¹Experimental Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Neurology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; ²Research Imaging Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States; ³Devers Eye Institute, Legacy Research Institute, Portland, OR, United States; ⁴Research Imaging Center, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States

Continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) MRI, widely used to non-invasively image blood flow (BF) of the brain, has been applied to image BF of the rat brain and retina but remains to be validated. The goal of this study was to use an established microsphere technique to cross-validate ASL MRI BF measurement in the rat brain and retina. By using a mixture of the two different sized fluorescent microspheres with two different colors, the cerebral, retinal and choroidal BF can be measured simultaneously in the same subject. Our data showed that BF values by MRI are in good accordance with the microsphere technique in the rat retina and cerebral cortex.