Validation and assessment of venous transit time in the human brain using VICTR MRI

Motivation: Venous transit time (VTT) is insufficiently investigated and can be a useful marker for clinical populations with abnormalities in the cerebral venous system. Goal(s): To further verify a novel non-contrast VICTR MRI and investigate advanced VTT properties and their age effects in the brain. Approach: We compared the VTT from VICTR and a contrast-based method. Statistical properties of VTT distribution were studied in a caffeine challenge and compared between young and older subjects. Results: VTT from VICTR MRI showed great agreement with contrast-based VTT. The mean, peak, and spread of VTT increased in the caffeine challenge. VTT is longer in the older subjects. Impact: VICTR MRI can measure venous transit time in the adult brain which increases with age. The non-contrast measurement of venous transit time paves the way for several research avenues to better understand vascular function in the normal and pathological brain.