FAIR and dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion imaging in healthy subjects and stroke patients

PURPOSE: To compare dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) and the flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) technique for measuring brain perfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated 12 patients with acute stroke, and 10 healthy volunteers with FAIR and DSC maps of regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV), mean transit time (MTT), and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). RESULTS: In volunteers good gray/white-matter contrast was observed in FAIR, rCBF, and rCBV maps. Regions with high signal intensities in FAIR matched well with high values of rCBV and rCBF. In ischemic stroke patients a high correlation (r = 0.78) of the ipsi- to contralateral signal intensity ratios in FAIR and rCBF was observed in areas with perfusion abnormalities. In contrast, FAIR and rCBV (r = 0.50), and FAIR and MTT (r = -0.22) correlated only modestly. Furthermore, FAIR and rCBF demonstrated similar sizes of perfusion abnormality. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates for the first time that FAIR and rCBF depict similar relations of perfusion in ischemic stroke patients and healthy subjects.