There is increasing interest in measuring leakage across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to assess its response to pathology, inflammation or ageing. Quantifying permeability of the BBB is typically performed using dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI which involves repeated T1-weighted imaging following administration of a Gd contrast agent. In this work, we assess the suitability of two popular DCE acquisition approaches to BBB permeability: (1) a slow gradient echo approach and (2) fast T1-weighted imaging using the VIBE technique . We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both techniques and recommend the optimum technique for quantification of subtle BBB permeability.
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