Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quantification in the Brain

Cerebral perfusion, the rate of blood delivery to brain tissue, plays an important role in tissue viability and brain function. The most commonly used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method to assess brain perfusion and tissue haemodynamics in clinical investigations is known as dynamic susceptibility-contrast (DSC) MRI. Among the main reasons for its widespread use are its fast acquisition time, good contrast-to-noise ratio, and wealth of information available from DSC-MRI data. A description of the typical steps involved in a DSC-MRI study, the practical decisions that need to be taken, the problems that can be encountered, and the approaches that have been developed to overcome or minimise them will be the topic of this chapter. In particular, the implications of all these issues for perfusion quantification will be emphasised.