Chinese Journal of Magnetic Resonance ›› 2010, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (3): 289-297.

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MR Perfusion Imaging: A Review of Flow Sensitive Alternating Inversion Recovery (FAIR) Technique

 Tiing-Yee SIOW1, 2, Chen CHANG1   

  1. 1. Academia Sinica, Institute of Biomedical Science, Functional and Micro-Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Taipei 11571;
    2. National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Taipei 10051
  • Received:2010-07-14 Online:2010-09-05 Published:2010-09-05

Abstract:

Over the past decades, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has evolved into a modality that offers perfusion imaging in addition to anatomy. Two principal methods of MR perfusion imaging exist: Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (DSC) and Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL). DSC has been applied more widely than ASL; however, complete noninvasive assessment is only attained by using ASL. There are numerous variants of ASL, including CASL (continuous arterial spin labeling), EPISTAR (echo planar imaging and signal targeting with alternating radiofrequency), PICORE (proximal inversion with a control for off-resonance effects) and FAIR (flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery). This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of FAIR technique, including theoretical background and implementations, in particular the T1 method for FAIR quantification. The problems and pitfalls involved in the quantification model revisited. Finally, a brief summary of applications is presented.

Key words: MRI, perfusion imaging, FAIR, T1 quantification

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