Whole-cerebrum Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion at 7T with isotropic 1 mm and sub-millimeter resolution with 3D TFL-pCASL and Stack-of-Spirals

Motivation: Leveraging the benefits of 7T MRI, high-resolution Arterial Spin Labeling perfusion imaging has the potential to provide fine-grained evaluation of brain structure and function. Goal(s): We aim to achieve isotropic 1 mm and sub-millimeter resolution perfusion imaging with whole-cerebrum coverage. Approach: We developed a novel 3D TFL-pCASL sequence with Stack-of-Spirals readout, incorporating compressed sensing and advanced correction methods for spiral-related artifacts, such as GIRF and MFI. Results: high-quality perfusion images comparable to structural scans, with reduced ringing artifacts, enhanced sharpness, and minimized motion sensitivity, were demonstrated, validating the sequence's potential for ultra-high-resolution whole-brain ASL imaging at 7T. Impact: This study presents high-resolution ASL perfusion imaging at 7T, providing fine-grained assessments of brain structure and function with comparable resolutions and details of structural MRI.