ExploreASL: an image processing pipeline for multi-center ASL perfusion MRI studies

摘要: Arterial spin labeling (ASL) has undergone significant development since its inception, with a focus on improving standardization and reproducibility of acquisition quantification. In community-wide effort towards robust reproducible clinical ASL image processing, we developed the software package ExploreASL, allowing standardized analyses across centers scanners. The procedures used in ExploreASL capitalize published processing advancements address challenges multi-center datasets scanner-specific artifact reduction to limit patient exclusion. is self-contained, written MATLAB based Statistical Parameter Mapping (SPM) runs multiple operating systems. toolbox adheres previously defined international standards for data structure, provenance, best analysis practice. was iteratively refined tested >10,000 scans using different pulse-sequences variety populations, resulting four modules: Import, Structural, ASL, Population that perform tasks, respectively, curation, structural quality control, finally preparing results statistical both single-subject group level. We illustrate from three cohorts: perinatally HIV-infected children, healthy adults, elderly at risk neurodegenerative disease. show each cohort when processed systems versions, effects quantification gray matter cerebral blood flow. facilitates pooling cohorts increase power discover between-group perfusion differences. Ultimately, this workflow may advance wider adoption studies, trials,