High resolution pCASL mapping of perfusion in the mouse brain

Motivation: pCASL perfusion mapping has many potential applications in preclinical imaging, but its use is still challenging particularly in mice and at higher fields due to limited sensitivity and constraints on labelling arising from the mouse’s anatomy. Goal(s): Here, we set to push the spatial resolution limitations of pCASL in mice by over an order of magnitude. Approach: For this, we leverage SNR increases provided by cryogenic coils and develop a novel experimental setup optimizing and stabilizing the positioning of the mice. Results: We then show x11 higher spatial resolution CBF maps compared to the previous state-of-the-art and higher stability and reproducibility of findings. Impact: We developed a setup optimizing carotid positioning for mice, thereby enabling efficient pCASL labeling. When combined with a cryogenic coil, perfusion images of the mouse brain were enhanced x11 in spatial resolution and were highly reproducible compared to current state-of-the-art.