Investigation of regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in very preterm infants using ASL

While the third trimester of gestation is a crucial phase of rapid brain development, little has been reported on the trajectories of pre-term infant cerebral blood flow (CBF) during this period. When arterial spin labeling (ASL) is applied to newborns, several pitfalls must be avoided when selecting parameters for data acquisition and data analysis. In this study, the lab addressed obstacles to acquiring reliable newborn infant regional CBF measurements. In pre-term infants, over the third trimester of ex utero development, the lab examined temporal changes of global and regional CBF. Finally, the lab studied the relationship of CBF with clinical factors that are associated with brain injury and premature birth.