Cerebrovascular Reactivity Mapping Using Resting-State Functional MRI in Patients With Gliomas

Background: Recently, a data-driven regression analysis method was developed to utilize the resting-state (rs) blood oxygenation level–dependent signal for cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) mapping (rs-CVR), which was previously optimized by comparing with the CO₂ inhalation-based method in health subjects and patients with neurovascular diseases. Purpose: To investigate the agreement of rs-CVR and the CVR mapping with breath-hold MRI (bh-CVR) in patients with gliomas. Study Type: Retrospective. Population: Twenty-five patients (12 males, 13 females; mean age ± SD, 48 ± 13 years) with gliomas. Field Strength/Sequence: Dynamic T2*-weighted gradient-echo echo-planar imaging during a breath-hold paradigm and during the rs on a 3-T scanner. Assessment: rs-CVR with various frequency ranges and resting-state fluctuation amplitude (RSFA) were assessed. The agreement between each rs-based CVR measurement and bh-CVR was determined by voxel-wise correlation and Dice coefficient in the whole brain, gray matter, and the lesion region of interest (ROI). Statistical Tests: Voxel-wise Pearson correlation, Dice coefficient, Fisher Z-transformation, repeated-measure analysis of variance and post hoc test with Bonferroni correction, and nonparametric repeated-measure Friedman test and post hoc test with Bonferroni correction were used. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Compared with bh-CVR, the highest correlations were found at the frequency bands of 0.04–0.08 Hz and 0.02–0.04 Hz for rs-CVR in both whole brain and the lesion ROI. RSFA had significantly lower correlations than did rs-CVR of 0.02–0.04 Hz and a wider frequency range (0–0.1164 Hz). Significantly higher correlations and Dice coefficient were found in normal tissues than in the lesion ROI for all three methods. Data Conclusion: The optimal frequency ranges for rs-CVR are determined by comparing with bh-CVR in patients with gliomas. The rs-CVR method outperformed the RSFA. Significantly higher correlation and Dice coefficient between rs- and bh-CVR were found in normal tissue than in the lesion. Level of Evidence: 3. Technical Efficacy Stage: 2.