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Abstract: The aim of this proposal is to investigate whether the bound pool fraction as a new and quantitative MR measure allows more insight into age related brain tissue changes than other quantitative MR measures. The specific aims are:

*Develop a MR pulse sequence that allows to map the bound proton fraction on high field systems (>=3T) within a clinically reasonable measurement time (<15min). The sequence should offer whole brain coverage and should overcome current limitations such as the susceptibility for motion and B1 effects.

*Measure the BPF in brain tissue of a large cohort of the Ausitria Stroke Prevention Study (ASPS). This gives us the opportunity to study a representative and homogeneous group of normal elderly people without a history or signs of neuropsychiatric diseases. By using a younger control cohort, we want to investigate how the BPF changes as a function of age, sex and anatonic region including cortical structures. In addition, we want to find out how the BPF varies within WMH with different severity and how it relates to the BPF in normal appearing brain tissue and to the neurocognitive performance.

*Compare the sensitivity and specificity of bound proton fraction mapping to more established measures of brain tissue changes including atrophy, diffusion weighted imaging, and magnetization transfer imaging.

Funded by: FWF, Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Wien, Austria

Project results published: > Fast bound pool fraction mapping using stimulated ... Magn Reson Med. 2011; 66(3): 717-724.