Hyperintense Signals in Cerebral Blood Flow Maps of Mice Acquired with Pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labeling MR Imaging
Abstract
PURPOSE: Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) MRI is a widely used, noninvasive, contrast-agent-free technique for measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) and assessing vascular dysfunction across diverse clinical settings and murine disease models. In practice, arterial-transit artifacts that generate hyperintense signal in CBF maps warrant careful consideration. While these effects are well characterized in humans, they are less well understood in mice owing to the marked interspecies physiological differences. METHODS: To address this knowledge gap, we systematically characterized pCASL hyperintense signal as a function of post-labeling delay (PLD) and crusher-gradient strength in mice. Numerical simulations were also performed to validate the experimental findings. RESULTS: We found that hyperintense signals in mice extend to arteries, major veins, and ventricular structures. Such a pattern was different from human pCASL images, where hyperintense signals are predominantly present in arteries. Statistical analyses supported a PLD of 500 milliseconds as a pragmatic balance between detection sensitivity and suppression of vascular contamination. Additional experiments and numerical simulations showed that, within the tested range, stronger crusher gradients provided little extra vascular suppression-primarily because large vessel calibers relative to small voxels limit intravoxel phase dispersion. CONCLUSION: These findings refine the interpretation of murine pCASL signals and facilitate more accurate perfusion imaging in preclinical pathophysiological studies.
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BibTeX
@article{yang2026hyperintense,
title = {{Hyperintense Signals in Cerebral Blood Flow Maps of Mice Acquired with Pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labeling MR Imaging}},
author = {Xiuli Yang and Yuguo Li and Adnan Bibic and Zhiliang Wei},
journal = {Magnetic Resonance in Medical Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.2463/mrms.mp.2026-0023},
url = {https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/mrms/25/4/25_mp.2026-0023/_article},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hyperintense Signals in Cerebral Blood Flow Maps of Mice Acquired with Pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labeling MR Imaging
AU - Xiuli Yang
AU - Yuguo Li
AU - Adnan Bibic
AU - Zhiliang Wei
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/22
JO - Magnetic Resonance in Medical Sciences
DO - 10.2463/mrms.mp.2026-0023
UR - https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/mrms/25/4/25_mp.2026-0023/_article
AB - PURPOSE: Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) MRI is a widely used, noninvasive, contrast-agent-free technique for measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) and assessing vascular dysfunction across diverse clinical settings and murine disease models. In practice, arterial-transit artifacts that generate hyperintense signal in CBF maps warrant careful consideration. While these effects are well characterized in humans, they are less well understood in mice owing to the marked interspecies physiological differences. METHODS: To address this knowledge gap, we systematically characterized pCASL hyperintense signal as a function of post-labeling delay (PLD) and crusher-gradient strength in mice. Numerical simulations were also performed to validate the experimental findings. RESULTS: We found that hyperintense signals in mice extend to arteries, major veins, and ventricular structures. Such a pattern was different from human pCASL images, where hyperintense signals are predominantly present in arteries. Statistical analyses supported a PLD of 500 milliseconds as a pragmatic balance between detection sensitivity and suppression of vascular contamination. Additional experiments and numerical simulations showed that, within the tested range, stronger crusher gradients provided little extra vascular suppression-primarily because large vessel calibers relative to small voxels limit intravoxel phase dispersion. CONCLUSION: These findings refine the interpretation of murine pCASL signals and facilitate more accurate perfusion imaging in preclinical pathophysiological studies.
SN - 1880-2206
SN - 1347-3182
ER -