Magdalena Sokolska1,
Aaron Oliver-Taylor1, Xavier Golay2, David Thomas1
1Department
of Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK,
United Kingdom; 2Department of Brain Repair & Rehabilitation,
University College London, London, UK, United Kingdom
Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive imaging technique for quantifying blood perfusion in tissue. Pseudo-continuous ASL has recently emerged as the method of choice. However, concern has been raised about acoustic noise levels experienced by patients undergoing pCASL scans, leading to patient discomfort. This is especially a concern in imaging unsedated infants or elderly patients, where exposure to long lasting acoustic noise can increase patient unease in the scanner. This study investigates the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) produced by the pCASL sequence and how it can be reduced without significantly changing the inversion efficiency.