Assessment of functional development in normal infant brain using arterial spin labeled perfusion MRI

作者：Wang Ze^*; Fernandez Seara Maria; Alsop David C; Liu Wen Ching; Flax Judy F; Benasich April A; Detre John A

来源：NeuroImage, 2008, 39(3): 973-978.

DOI：10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.09.045

• brain development
• ASL perfusion MRI
• infants
• SVM

Arterial spin labeled (ASL) perfusion MRI provides a noninvasive approach for longitudinal imaging of regional brain function in infants. In the present study, continuous ASL (CASL) perfusion MRI was carried out in normally developing 7- and 13-month-old infants while asleep without sedation. The 13-month infant group showed an increase (P<0.05) of relative CBF in frontal regions as compared to the 7-month group using a region of interest based analysis. Using a machine-learning algorithm to automatically classify the relative CBF maps of the two infant groups, a significant (P<0.05, permutation testing) regional CBF increase was found in the hippocampi, anterior cingulate, amygdalae, occipital lobes, and auditory cortex in the 13-month-old infants. These results are consistent with current understanding of infant brain development and demonstrate the feasibility of using perfusion MRI to noninvasively monitor developing brain function.

• 出版日期2008-2-1