Improved perfusion quantification in FAIR imaging by offset correction

Perfusion quantification using pulsed arterial spin labeling has been shown to be sensitive to the RF pulse slice profiles. Therefore, in Flow-sensiti ve Alternating-lnversion Recovery (FAIR) imaging the slice selective (ss) i nversion slab is usually three to four times thicker than the imaging slice , However, this reduces perfusion sensitivity due to the increased transit delay of the incoming blood with unperturbed spins. In the present article, the dependence of the magnetization on the RF pulse slice profiles is insp ected both theoretically and experimentally, A perfusion quantification mod el is presented that allows the use of thinner ss inversion slabs by taking into account the offset of RF slice profiles between ss and nonselective i nversion slabs. This model was tested in both phantom and human studies, Ma gn Reson Med 46:193-197, 2001, (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.