Investigation of Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) in paediatric studies via Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL).

Cerebral blood flow (CBF, cerebral perfusion) mirrors cerebral metabolic demand and neuronal function, and therefore, is a vital parameter in the evaluation of pediatric brain injury and recovery. Until recently, measurement of CBF involved intravenous bolus injection of contrast agents or nuclear medicine methods that were technically difficult or ethically problematic in pediatrics. The development of arterial spin label (ASL) perfusion MR imaging as a noninvasive method for measuring CBF allows for the increased ability to measure this vital physiologic parameter in any age group. This study is performing ASL perfusion MR imaging in paediatrics, and shows its use in clinical studies and its potential for influencing important management strategies in specific disease entities.

脑血流量（cerebral blood flow, CBF，又称脑灌注cerebral perfusion）可反映脑代谢需求与神经元功能，因此是评估儿童脑损伤及恢复情况的关键生理参数。此前，CBF的检测需通过静脉团注造影剂或核医学方法完成，但这类手段在儿科群体中存在操作难度高、伦理争议大的问题。动脉自旋标记（arterial spin label, ASL）灌注磁共振成像作为一种无创的CBF检测技术，大幅提升了在任意年龄组中测量这一重要生理参数的可行性。本研究针对儿科群体开展ASL灌注磁共振成像检测，证实了该技术在临床研究中的应用价值，以及其在特定疾病实体中对关键诊疗策略制定的潜在影响。