Xenon-enhanced CT of the brain: effect of flow activation on derived cerebral blood flow measurements.

Abstract

The errors associated with derivation of cerebral blood flow values by the xenon-enhanced CT method have been evaluated through computer simulations as a function of flow-activation patterns and different scanning protocols. The results of this study indicate that actual flow activation during inhalation increases the derived flow values in a systematic way. Compared with the errors introduced by CT noise and/or variations in scanning protocols, flow activation introduces relatively small errors in the derived flow value when the washin technique is used.