Does 3D T2-weighted BOLD imaging correlate with fluorescent microsphere assessment for detecting regional myocardial blood flow differences in dogs?
3D T2-weighted BOLD imaging at 1.5 T correlates well with microsphere measurements, demonstrating feasibility for detecting regional myocardial perfusion differences.
Abstract The feasibility of detecting regional differences in myocardial blood flow based on the blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) effect was evaluated in vivo in dogs ( N = 9) using a 3D T 2 ‐prepared segmented gradient‐echo sequence at 1.5 T. Regional differences in myocardial blood flow were created by administering adenosine through a catheter placed in the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX). The difference in the R 2 (1/ T 2 ) relaxation rate between the left ventricular myocardial region supplied by the LCX and regions supplied by the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) or septal artery during adenosine administration was correlated to the corresponding regional myocardial blood flow difference determined using fluorescent microspheres. A correlation coefficient of 0.80 was found between the MR BOLD measurements and the myocardial flow assessment. Our results show that the sequence used in this study allows fast 3D BOLD imaging of the heart, and is a promising technique for detecting regional myocardial perfusion differences. Magn Reson Med 46:573–578, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Wright et al. (Fri,) studied this question.