A Method for Detection of Subtle Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption using Non-Contrast MR Fingerprinting

Using magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF), we propose a method for regional quantification of blood volume (νb) and BBB water exchange (by quantifying capillary water residence time, τb), as a metric of BBB function/dysfunction. A single axial slice was acquired for seven healthy volunteers using an MRF SPGR sequence. Matching to a precomputed dictionary was performed to simultaneously quantify intra and extravascular T1, B1+, νb, and τb. Initial findings in volunteers show that it is possible to quantify these five parameters simultaneously. Our results show promise for patient studies of blood-brain barrier disruption.