Special section: ISMRM perfusion workshop invited papers

Abstract

THE FOLLOWING 12 papers on perfusion MRI were written and submitted by the invited speakers of the ISMRM Workshop “Quantitative Cerebral Perfusion Imaging using MRI: A Technical Perspective” given in San Servolo, Venice, Italy on 21–23 March, 2004. These papers are derived and expanded from the written syllabus of that workshop, and were peer-reviewed and edited as with all published JMRI articles. The aims of the workshop and invited papers were to critically describe and review current methods of quantitative cerebral perfusion imaging using MRI, to evaluate the different methodologies, to describe new and recent developments, and to assess clinical and basic research applications. The workshop focused on cerebral perfusion MRI rather than including other tissues and organs due to the unique technical and tracer-kinetic issues in cerebral perfusion MRI. The workshop and invited papers also focused primarily on the two most common methods for quantitative cerebral perfusion MRI: dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) and arterial spin labeling (ASL). The workshop was structured as nine oral sessions (three DSC, two ASL, and four combined DSC-ASL sessions). Each oral session had one or two invited talks, from which the following invited papers were derived. The first DSC and first ASL sessions were on theoretical bases of the techniques, including critical scientific assessment of the methods, assumptions, sources of error, and limitations of each technique. The next DSC and ASL sessions were on data acquisition and analysis. These sessions were followed by a combined session that covered comparison and validation of the methods against each other and against other non-MR perfusion methods, as well as the relative advantages, disadvantages, and roles of the two methods. Two more combined sessions followed covering basic science applications and clinical applications. Finally, the last session covered new ASL and DSC imaging methods. The listing of sessions can be found at the archive of the workshop web site http://www.ismrm.org/workshops/Perfusion_Imaging/. These session themes are all represented in the following invited papers. A more detailed description of the sessions and workshop is given in the MR Pulse, Volume 11, Number 2, August 2004 at http://www.ismrm.org/pulse/index.html. Many technical issues, challenges, innovations, and solutions were discussed in the workshop, and are discussed in greater detail in the following articles. These papers show the richness of the current field of perfusion MRI and the promise for future innovations and solutions. We hope that both researchers new to the field and established researchers find these invited papers useful in giving a comprehensive view of the technical aspects of quantitative cerebral perfusion MRI. We thank Drs. A. Bizzi and S. Mori on the workshop Organizing Committee; J. Tiemann, R. Goldstein, R. Kravitz, A. de Lemos, S. Liebscher, and K. Minear of the ISMRM staff, Dr. F. Nisii of Venice International University (VIU), and A. Bizzi for workshop planning; Drs. D. Alsop and E. Wong for help with reviewing abstracts; and J. Alger, E. Barbier, P. Barker, A. Connelly, A. de Crespigny, J. Detre, D. Gadian, C. Grandin, P. Jezzard, J. Perkiö, O. Wu, F. Ye, J. Zhong, and several invited speakers for chairing sessions. We thank all the meeting participants who gave talks and posters, and all the meeting attendees for participating in the meeting. We also thank D. Romo, D. Memisevic, K. Schupp, M. Kotys, J. Memisevic and K. Pusczek for help with planning manuscript formatting and editing; and M. Tanner, Dr. C.L. Partain, and the JMRI and Wiley staffs for coordinating publication of these articles. Finally, we thank the Corporate Sponsors: Invivo/MDE, Pfizer, Siemens, Sun Microsystems, SurgiVet, and Tyco Healthcare/Mallinckrodt for financial support of the workshop.