Quantification of the magnetic resonance signal response to dynamic (C)O2-enhanced imaging in the brain at 3 T: R2 BOLD vs. balanced SSFP

Purpose: To compare two magnetic resonance (MR) contrast mechanisms, R*2 BOLD and balanced SSFP, for the dynamic monitoring of the cerebral response to (C)O2 respiratory challenges. Materials and Methods: Carbogen and CO2‐enriched air were delivered to 9 healthy volunteers and 1 glioblastoma patient. The cerebral response was recorded by two‐dimensional (2D) dynamic multi‐gradient‐echo and passband‐balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) sequences, and local changes of R*2 and signal intensity were investigated. Detection sensitivity was analyzed by statistical tests. An exponential signal model was fitted to the global response function delivered by each sequence, enabling quantitative comparison of the amplitude and temporal behavior. Results: The bSSFP signal changes during carbogen and CO2/air inhalation were lower compared with R*2 BOLD (ca. 5% as opposed to 8–13%). The blood‐oxygen‐level‐dependent (BOLD) response amplitude enabled differentiation between carbogen and CO2/air by a factor of 1.4–1.6, in contrast to bSSFP, where differentiation was not possible. Furthermore, motion robustness and detection sensitivity were higher for R*2 BOLD. Conclusion: Both contrast mechanisms are well suited to dynamic (C)O2‐enhanced MR imaging, although the R*2 BOLD mechanism was demonstrated to be superior in several respects for the chosen application. This study suggests that the R*2 BOLD and bSSFP‐response characteristics are related to different physiologic mechanisms. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1300–1310. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.