Perfusion-based functional imaging in the monkey brain at 7T: investigations of CASL parameters

Perfusion-based imaging in the monkey primary visual cortex was performed at 7 T applying continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL). Increased perfusion sensitivity and SNR at high magnetic field (due to larger T1) was further optimized using a custom-made three-coil setup with a separate neck labeling coil. We investigated the labeling parameters to obtain relative fCBF changes in the anaesthetized monkey. We report excellent functional activation of striate cortex at high resolution of 0.75x0.9mm2 in-plane. Interestingly, the optimal parameter set for obtaining highest signal changes of rCBF are different from the reported values for imaging gray matter CBF