Artery-specific perfusion measurements in the cerebral vasculature by magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

Determining the perfusion territory of a specific artery in the brain can provide important information in the diagnosis of many cerebrovascular diseases. While a variety of methods exist to measure and quantify cerebral perfusion in general, only few of them present the ability to gather regional information on cerebral perfusion that can be assigned to a particular artery. Among such methods arterial spin labeling techniques based on magnetic resonance imaging currently represent the most promising approaches with respect to a selective measurement of flow territories of individual arteries. The work of this doctoral thesis aims to fill the gap between the diagnostic possibilities of existing techniques for flow territory mapping and the diagnostic demands required for an accurate diagnosis in various cerebrovascular diseases. The studies presented attempt to contribute to a technical solution of this problem with the emphasis on selective perfusion measurements of individual intracranial arteries, and at the same time to ensure clinical applicability.