3D Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Fingerprinting for Quantitative CSF Transport Mapping in Mouse Brain at 9.4T

Motivation: Quantitative MR provides the opportunity of quantifying concentration of contrast agent and its transport in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the whole brain. Goal(s): To develop a fast multi-parametric mapping method tailored to dynamically and quantitatively assessing Gd-DTPA transport in mouse brain. Approach: We designed and validated a new 3D MR fingerprinting (MRF) sequence with subspace-based reconstruction to simultaneously track T1 and T2 changes in mouse brain following intrathecal contrast infusion with a temporal resolution of <4.5 min at 9.4T. Results: Dynamic T1 and T2 changes allowed direct quantification of transport kinetics in different brain regions between multiple subjects without normalization. Impact: We present the first 3D MR fingerprinting method for dynamic quantification of contrast agent transport in rodent brains. With unprecedented speed, accuracy, and robustness, our method offers unlimited opportunities for multi-parametric quantification in various preclinical imaging applications.