Reproducibility of the quantification of cerebral perfusion using multi-delay arterial spin labeling MRI at 5T

Motivation: To develop and optimize multi-delay pCASL at ultra-high field 5T MR system and further assess the reproducibility of this technique for the quantifications of cerebral perfusion. Goal(s): Develop a whole-brain multi-delay pCASL imaging protocol with good reproducibility at 5T MRI. Approach: Optimize labeling gradient parameters for the field inhomogeneities, scan 8 healthy volunteers and test the reproducibility of cerebral blood flow(CBF) and arterial transit time(ATT). Results: We first achieved whole-brain multi-delay pCASL imaging at ultra-high field with prolonged post-labeling delays. CBF showed excellent reproducibility in all brain regions, especially in subcortical region. ATT showed excellent reproducibility in anterior brain regions. Impact: Our findings enable a reliable quantitative analysis of whole-brain perfusion from multi-delay pCASL at ultra-high field with good reproducibility, offering a promising advancement in the effective and accurate diagnosis for neurological diseases.