MRI Protocols for Perfusion Imaging

MRIs were acquired using 1.5T (GE Signa Scanner, General Electric Medical Systems) or 3T (Philips Achieva, Philips Healthcare; Siemens Skyra, Siemens AG) scanners. Parameters for FLAIR acquisition were: repetition time (TR), 9000 ms; echo time (TE), 120–145 ms; 3.5 mm slice thickness (40 slices). Dynamic susceptibility contrast PWI parameters were: TR, 1–1.5 s; TE, 25–45 ms; 7 mm slice thickness (20 slices with a full brain coverage); 40–80 dynamics. For PWI, participants received 0.1 mmol/kg of gadolinium–diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (Magnevist, Bayer Schering Pharma) or gadobenic acid MultiHance (Bracco Diagnostics) contrast at 5 mL/s flow rate.