Tammo Rukat1,
2, Simon Walker-Samuel3, Stefan A. Reinsberg1
1Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC,
Canada; 2Institut fr Physik, Humboldt Universitt zu Berlin,
Berlin, Germany; 3Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging,
University College London, London, United Kingdom
The reliability of small animal DCE-MRI data analysis with quantitative pharmakokinetic models depends strongly on the time course of contrast agent (CA) administration, known as arterial input function (AIF). In this study the dependence of the intrinsic limits of a parameter predictability on the width of the AIF-peak (i.e. the speed of CA administration) is quantified to provide investigators with a tool to determine reasonable limits for CA administration protocols.