Retrospective correction of involuntary microscopic head movement using highly accelerated fat image navigators (3D FatNavs) at 7T

Motion-Correction Enabled Ultra-High Resolution In-Vivo 7T-MRI of the Brain

Objectives

To demonstrate the image quality that can be obtained for multiple contrasts using ultra-high resolution MRI (highest nominal resolution: 350 μm isotropic) at 7T using appropriate motion-correction.

Materials and Methods

An MRI-based fat-excitation motion navigator (which requires no additional hardware) was incorporated into T1-weighted (MP2RAGE, 350 μm nominal isotropic resolution, total scan time 124 mins over 2 sessions. The MP2RAGE also provides quantitative T1-maps), 3D-TSE (380 μm nominal isotropic resolution, total scan time 58 mins) and T2*-weighted protocols (3D-GRE, 380 μm nominal isotropic resolution, total scan time 42 mins) on a 7T MR system. Images from each contrast are presented from a single healthy adult male volunteer (34 years) for direct comparison. The subject provided written consent in accordance with the local review board.

Results

Images of various brain structures are revealed at unprecedented quality for in-vivo MRI. The presented images permit, for example, to delimit the internal structure of the basal ganglia and thalamus. The single digitationes of the hippocampus are visible, and the gyrus dentatus can be visualized. Intracortical contrast was also observed in the neocortex, including the stria of Gennari of the primary visual cortex.

Conclusions

Appropriate motion-correction allows MRI scans to be performed with extended scan times enabling exceptionally high resolution scans with high image quality, with the use of a 7T scanner allowing large brain coverage for 350–380 μm isotropic voxels with total scan times for each contrast ranging from 42 to 124 minutes.

Optimizing the acceleration and resolution of three-dimensional fat image navigators for high-resolution motion correction at 7T

PURPOSE

To investigate the effect of spatial resolution and parallel imaging acceleration factor on the quality of the motion estimates derived from image navigators with a three-dimensional (3D) gradient-recalled echo (GRE) acquisition with fat excitation (3D FatNavs) for neuroimaging at 7T.

METHODS

Six healthy subjects were scanned for 10 min, during which time repeated GRE volumes were acquired during small movements-alternating between fat and water excitations (WaterNavs)-allowing retrospective decimation of the data to simulate a variety of combinations of image resolution and acceleration factor. Bias and error in the motion estimates were then compared across navigator parameters.

RESULTS

The 2-mm, 4 × 4 accelerated data (TR_volume  = 1.2 s) provided motion estimates that were almost indistinguishable from those from the full original acquisition (2 mm, 2 × 2, TR_volume  = 5.2 s). For faster navigators, it was found that good accuracy and precision were achievable with TR_volume  = 144 ms, using a lower spatial resolution (4 mm, 6 × 6 acceleration) to avoid the bias observed at exceptionally high acceleration factors (8 × 8 or higher). Parameter estimates from WaterNavs and FatNavs showed close agreement with FatNavs, with better performance at exceptionally high acceleration factors.

CONCLUSION

Our data help to guide the parameter choice for 3D FatNavs when a compromise must be reached between the quality of the motion estimates and the available scan time. Magn Reson Med 77:547-558, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Prospective motion correction and selective reacquisition using volumetric navigators for vessel-encoded arterial spin labeling dynamic angiography

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to improve robustness to motion in a vessel-encoded angiography sequence used for patient scans. The sequence is particularly sensitive to motion between imaging segments, which causes ghosting and blurring that propagates to the final angiogram.

METHODS

Volumetric echo planar imaging (EPI) navigators acquired in 275 ms were inserted after the imaging readout in a vessel-encoded pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (VEPCASL) sequence. The effects of movement between segments on the images were tested with phantom experiments. Deliberate motion experiments with healthy volunteers were performed to compare prospective motion correction (PMC) with reacquisition versus no correction.

RESULTS

In scans without motion, the addition of the EPI navigator to the sequence did not affect the quality of the angiograms in comparison with the original sequence. PMC and reacquisition improved the visibility of vessels in the angiograms compared with the scans without correction. The reacquisition strategy was shown to be important for complete correction of imaging artifacts.

CONCLUSION

We have demonstrated an effective method to correct motion in vessel-encoded angiography. For reacquisition of 15 segments, the technique requires approximately 30 s of additional scanning (∼25%). Magn Reson Med 76:1420-1430, 2016. © 2015 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Additional sampling directions improve detection range of wireless radiofrequency probes

Purpose

While MRI is enhancing our knowledge about the structure and function of the human brain, subject motion remains a problem in many clinical applications. Recently, the use of wireless radiofrequency markers with three one‐dimensional (1D) navigators for prospective correction was demonstrated. This method is restricted in the range of motion that can be corrected, however, because of limited information in the 1D readouts.

Methods

Here, the limitation of techniques for disambiguating marker locations was investigated. It was shown that including more sampling directions extends the tracking range for head rotations. The efficiency of trading readout resolution for speed was explored.

Results

Tracking of head rotations was demonstrated from −19.2 to 34.4°, −2.7 to 10.0°, and −60.9 to 70.9° in the x‐, y‐, and z‐directions, respectively. In the presence of excessive head motion, the deviation of marker estimates from SPM8 was reduced by 17.1% over existing three‐projection methods. This was achieved by using an additional seven directions, extending the time needed for readouts by a factor of 3.3. Much of this increase may be circumvented by reducing resolution, without compromising accuracy.

Conclusion

Including additional sampling directions extends the range in which markers can be used, for patients who move a lot. Magn Reson Med 76:913–918, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.