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Boudreau M, Karakuzu A, Cohen-Adad J, Bozkurt E, Carr M, Castellaro M, Concha L, Doneva M, Dual SA, Ensworth A, Foias A, Fortier V, Gabr RE, Gilbert G, Glide-Hurst CK, Grech-Sollars M, Hu S, Jalnefjord O, Jovicich J, Keskin K, Koken P, Kolokotronis A, Kukran S, Lee NG, Levesque IR, Li B, Ma D, Mädler B, Maforo NG, Near J, Pasaye E, Ramirez-Manzanares A, Statton B, Stehning C, Tambalo S, Tian Y, Wang C, Weiss K, Zakariaei N, Zhang S, Zhao Z, Stikov N. Repeat it without me: Crowdsourcing the T 1 mapping common ground via the ISMRM reproducibility challenge. Magn Reson Med 2024; 92:1115-1127. [PMID: 38730562 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE T1 mapping is a widely used quantitative MRI technique, but its tissue-specific values remain inconsistent across protocols, sites, and vendors. The ISMRM Reproducible Research and Quantitative MR study groups jointly launched a challenge to assess the reproducibility of a well-established inversion-recovery T1 mapping technique, using acquisition details from a seminal T1 mapping paper on a standardized phantom and in human brains. METHODS The challenge used the acquisition protocol from Barral et al. (2010). Researchers collected T1 mapping data on the ISMRM/NIST phantom and/or in human brains. Data submission, pipeline development, and analysis were conducted using open-source platforms. Intersubmission and intrasubmission comparisons were performed. RESULTS Eighteen submissions (39 phantom and 56 human datasets) on scanners by three MRI vendors were collected at 3 T (except one, at 0.35 T). The mean coefficient of variation was 6.1% for intersubmission phantom measurements, and 2.9% for intrasubmission measurements. For humans, the intersubmission/intrasubmission coefficient of variation was 5.9/3.2% in the genu and 16/6.9% in the cortex. An interactive dashboard for data visualization was also developed: https://rrsg2020.dashboards.neurolibre.org. CONCLUSION The T1 intersubmission variability was twice as high as the intrasubmission variability in both phantoms and human brains, indicating that the acquisition details in the original paper were insufficient to reproduce a quantitative MRI protocol. This study reports the inherent uncertainty in T1 measures across independent research groups, bringing us one step closer to a practical clinical baseline of T1 variations in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Boudreau
- NeuroPoly Lab, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Agah Karakuzu
- NeuroPoly Lab, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Unité de Neuroimagerie Fonctionnelle, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Mila-Quebec AI Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ecem Bozkurt
- Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Madeline Carr
- Medical Physics, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia
- Department of Medical Physics, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centers, Liverpool, Australia
| | - Marco Castellaro
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Luis Concha
- Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | - Seraina A Dual
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Alex Ensworth
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alexandru Foias
- NeuroPoly Lab, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Véronique Fortier
- Department of Medical Imaging, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Radiology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Refaat E Gabr
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Carri K Glide-Hurst
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Matthew Grech-Sollars
- Center for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
- Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Siyuan Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Oscar Jalnefjord
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jorge Jovicich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Kübra Keskin
- Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Anastasia Kolokotronis
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Hopital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Simran Kukran
- Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Nam G Lee
- Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ives R Levesque
- Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Bochao Li
- Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dan Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Nyasha G Maforo
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Physics and Biology in Medicine IDP, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jamie Near
- Douglas Brain Imaging Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erick Pasaye
- Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | - Ben Statton
- Medical Research Council, London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Stefano Tambalo
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Ye Tian
- Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Chenyang Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology-CNS Service, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kilian Weiss
- Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Niloufar Zakariaei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ziwei Zhao
- Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nikola Stikov
- NeuroPoly Lab, Polytechnique Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
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Li Y, Li W, Paez A, Cao D, Sun Y, Gu C, Zhang K, Miao X, Liu P, Li W, Pillai J, Lu H, van Zijl PCM, Earley C, Li X, Hua J. Imaging arterial and venous vessels using Iron Dextran enhanced multi-echo 3D gradient echo MRI at 7T. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024:e5251. [PMID: 39187441 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Iron Dextran is a widely used iron oxide compound to treat iron-deficiency anemia patients in the clinic. Similar to other iron oxide compounds such as Ferumoxytol, it can also be used off-label as an intravascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent due to its strong iron-induced T2 and T2* shortening effects. In this study, we seek to evaluate the feasibility of using Iron Dextran enhanced multi-echo susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) MRI at 7T to image arterial and venous blood vessels in the human brain. Phantom experiments were performed to measure the r2* relaxivity for Iron Dextran in blood, based on which the SWI sequence was optimized. Pre- and post-infusion MR images were acquired in human subjects from which maps of arteries and veins were extracted. The post-contrast SWI images showed enhanced susceptibility difference between blood and the surrounding tissue in both arteries and veins. Our results showed that the proposed Iron Dextran enhanced multi-echo SWI approach allowed the visualization of blood vessels with diameters down to ~100 μm, including small blood vessels supplying and draining small brain structures such as the hippocampus. We conclude that Iron Dextran can be an alternative iron-based MRI contrast agent for blood vessel imaging in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghao Li
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Wei Li
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, International Science and Technology, Cooperation base of Child development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child, Neurodevelopment and Cognitive Disorders, Chongqing, China
| | - Adrian Paez
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Di Cao
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yuanqi Sun
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Chunming Gu
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kaihua Zhang
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Xinyuan Miao
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peiying Liu
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Wenbo Li
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jay Pillai
- Division of Neuroradiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hanzhang Lu
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter C M van Zijl
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher Earley
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xu Li
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jun Hua
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of MRI Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Annecke HTP, Eidelpes R, Feyrer H, Ilgen J, Gürdap CO, Dasgupta R, Petzold K. Optimising in-cell NMR acquisition for nucleic acids. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2024:10.1007/s10858-024-00448-5. [PMID: 39162911 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-024-00448-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the structure and function of nucleic acids in their native environment is crucial to structural biology and one focus of in-cell NMR spectroscopy. Many challenges hamper in-cell NMR in human cell lines, e.g. sample decay through cell death and RNA degradation. The resulting low signal intensities and broad line widths limit the use of more complex NMR experiments, reducing the possible structural and dynamic information that can be extracted. Here, we optimize the detection of imino proton signals, indicators of base-pairing and therefore secondary structure, of a double-stranded DNA oligonucleotide in HeLa cells, using selective excitation. We demonstrate the reproducible quantification of in-cell selective longitudinal relaxation times (selT1), which are reduced compared to the in vitro environment, as a result of interactions with the complex cellular environment. By measuring the intracellular selT1, we optimize the existing proton pulse sequences, and shorten measurement time whilst enhancing the signal gained per unit of time. This exemplifies an advantage of selective excitation over conventional methods like jump-return water suppression for in-cell NMR. Furthermore, important experimental controls are discussed, including intracellular quantification, supernatant control measurements, as well as the processing of lowly concentrated in-cell NMR samples. We expect that robust and fast in-cell NMR experiments of nucleic acids will facilitate the study of structure and dynamics and reveal their functional correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry T P Annecke
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 752 37, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Reiner Eidelpes
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hannes Feyrer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Julian Ilgen
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cenk Onur Gürdap
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Solna, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, 171 65, Solna, Sweden
| | - Rubin Dasgupta
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 752 37, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katja Petzold
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 752 37, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Science for Life Laboratory, 171 65, Solna, Sweden.
- Center of Excellence for the Chemical Mechanisms of Life, Uppsala University, 752 37, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Haacke EM, Xu Q, Kokeny P, Gharabaghi S, Chen Y, Wu B, Liu Y, He N, Yan F. Strategically Acquired Gradient Echo (STAGE) Imaging, part IV: Constrained Reconstruction of White Noise (CROWN) Processing as a Means to Improve Signal-to-Noise in STAGE Imaging at 3 Tesla. Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 107:55-68. [PMID: 38181834 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) has always been of critical importance for magnetic resonance imaging. Although increasing field strength provides a linear increase in SNR, it is more and more costly as field strength increases. Therefore, there is a major effort today to use signal processing methods to improve SNR since it is more efficient and economical. There are a variety of methods to improve SNR such as averaging the data at the expense of imaging time, or collecting the data with a lower resolution, all of these methods, including imaging processing methods, usually come at the expense of loss of image detail or image blurring. Therefore, we developed a new mathematical approach called CROWN (Constrained Reconstruction of White Noise) to enhance SNR without loss of structural detail and without affecting scanning time. In this study, we introduced and tested the concept behind CROWN specifically for STAGE (strategically acquired gradient echo) imaging. The concept itself is presented first, followed by simulations to demonstrate its theoretical effectiveness. Then the SNR improvement on proton spin density (PSD) and R2⁎ maps was investigated using brain STAGE data acquired from 10 healthy controls (HCs) and 10 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). For the PSD and R2* maps, the SNR and CNR between white matter and gray matter were improved by a factor of 1.87 ± 0.50 and 1.72 ± 0.88, respectively. The white matter hyperintensity lesions in PD patients were more clearly defined after CROWN processing. Using these improved maps, simulated images for any repeat time, echo time or flip angle can be created with improved SNR. The potential applications of this technology are to trade off the increased SNR for higher resolution images and/or faster imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Mark Haacke
- SpinTech MRI, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, United States of America; Wayne State University, Department of Neurology, Detroit, MI 48201, United States of America; Wayne State University, Department of Radiology, Detroit, MI 48201, United States of America; Zhuyan Limited, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qiuyun Xu
- SpinTech MRI, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, United States of America
| | - Paul Kokeny
- SpinTech MRI, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, United States of America
| | - Sara Gharabaghi
- SpinTech MRI, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, United States of America
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- Wayne State University, Department of Neurology, Detroit, MI 48201, United States of America
| | - Bo Wu
- Zhuyan Limited, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Radiology, Shanghai, China
| | - Naying He
- Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Radiology, Shanghai, China
| | - Fuhua Yan
- Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Radiology, Shanghai, China
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Weng G, Slotboom J, Schucht P, Ermiş E, Wiest R, Klöppel S, Peter J, Zubak I, Radojewski P. Simultaneous multi-region detection of GABA+ and Glx using 3D spatially resolved SLOW-editing and EPSI-readout at 7T. Neuroimage 2024; 286:120511. [PMID: 38184158 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
GABA+ and Glx (glutamate and glutamine) are widely studied metabolites, yet the commonly used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) techniques have significant limitations, including sensitivity to B0 and B1+-inhomogeneities, limited bandwidth of MEGA-pulses, high SAR which is accentuated at 7T. To address these limitations, we propose SLOW-EPSI method, employing a large 3D MRSI coverage and achieving a high resolution down to 0.26 ml. Simulation results demonstrate the robustness of SLOW-editing for both GABA+ and Glx against B0 and B1+-inhomogeneities within the range of [-0.3, +0.3] ppm and [40 %, 250 %], respectively. Two protocols, both utilizing a 70 mm thick FOV slab, were employed to target distinct brain regions in vivo, differentiated by their orientation: transverse and tilted. Protocol 1 (n = 11) encompassed 5 locations (cortical gray matter, white matter, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and cingulate gyrus). Protocol 2 (n = 5) involved 9 locations (cortical gray matter, white matter, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, cingulate gyrus, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, putamen, and inferior thalamus). Quantitative analysis of GABA+ and Glx was conducted in a stepwise manner. First, B1+/B1--inhomogeneities were corrected using water reference data. Next, GABA+ and Glx values were calculated employing spectral fitting. Finally, the GABA+ level for each selected region was compared to the global Glx within the same subject, generating the GABA+/Glx_global ratio. Our findings from two protocols indicate that the GABA+/Glx_global level in cortical gray matter was approximately 16 % higher than in white matter. Elevated GABA+/Glx_global levels acquired with protocol 2 were observed in specific regions such as the caudate nucleus (0.118±0.067), putamen (0.108±0.023), thalamus (0.092±0.036), and occipital cortex (0.091±0.010), when compared to the cortical gray matter (0.079±0.012). Overall, our results highlight the effectiveness of SLOW-EPSI as a robust and efficient technique for accurate measurements of GABA+ and Glx at 7T. In contrast to previous SVS and 2D-MRSI based editing sequences with which only one or a limited number of brain regions can be measured simultaneously, the method presented here measures GABA+ and Glx from any brain area and any arbitrarily shaped volume that can be flexibly selected after the examination. Quantification of GABA+ and Glx across multiple brain regions through spectral fitting is achievable with a 9-minute acquisition. Additionally, acquisition times of 18-27 min (GABA+) and 9-18 min (Glx) are required to generate 3D maps, which are constructed using Gaussian fitting and peak integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Weng
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center, sitem-insel, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Johannes Slotboom
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center, sitem-insel, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Schucht
- Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ekin Ermiş
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roland Wiest
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center, sitem-insel, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Klöppel
- University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Peter
- University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Irena Zubak
- Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Piotr Radojewski
- Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center, sitem-insel, Bern, Switzerland
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Sakoda K, Baba S. Technical Note: Novel imaging method to obtain gray matter-attenuated inversion recovery image using low-field magnetic resonance imaging systems. Radiography (Lond) 2024; 30:231-236. [PMID: 38035438 DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The double inversion recovery (DIR) technique suppresses two types of tissue signals with different T1 values by applying two inversion recovery (IR) pulses with different inversion times (TI). In contrast, the double tissue suppression with multi-echo acquisition and single TI combining HIRE (DOMUST-HIRE) method, is a technique enabling the white-matter-attenuated inversion recovery (WAIR) images by setting one inversion time (TI) in a sequence based on the multi-echo method and subtracting the second echo image from the first echo image. Here, we propose a new sequence that can provide the gray-matter-attenuated inversion recovery image based on the DOMUST-HIRE method. METHODS In this small clinical study, we performed determination of optimal TI and physical evaluation by imaging a subject's head with T1WI and our proposed method for GAIR images. RESULTS Our proposed method could increase the contrast ratio and the contrast-to-noise ratio between white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM), whereas the signal-to-noise ratio WM and GM decreased than with T1WI method. CONCLUSIONS Our proposed method can be used to suppress GM and CSF signals. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE The use of our proposed method in low-field MRI systems could provide GAIR image.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Sakoda
- Department of Radiological Technology, Kagoshima Medical Technology College, Japan.
| | - S Baba
- Department of Radiological Technology, Kagoshima Medical Technology College, Japan
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Zhang Y, Huang P, Wang X, Xu Q, Liu Y, Jin Z, Li Y, Cheng Z, Tang R, Chen S, He N, Yan F, Haacke EM. Visualizing the deep cerebellar nuclei using quantitative susceptibility mapping: An application in healthy controls, Parkinson's disease patients and essential tremor patients. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:1810-1824. [PMID: 36502376 PMCID: PMC9921226 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The visualization and identification of the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) (dentate [DN], interposed [IN] and fastigial nuclei [FN]) are particularly challenging. We aimed to visualize the DCN using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), predict the contrast differences between QSM and T2* weighted imaging, and compare the DCN volume and susceptibility in movement disorder populations and healthy controls (HCs). Seventy-one Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, 39 essential tremor patients, and 80 HCs were enrolled. The PD patients were subdivided into tremor dominant (TD) and postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD) groups. A 3D strategically acquired gradient echo MR imaging protocol was used for each subject to obtain the QSM data. Regions of interest were drawn manually on the QSM data to calculate the volume and susceptibility. Correlation analysis between the susceptibility and either age or volume was performed and the intergroup differences of the volume and magnetic susceptibility in all the DCN structures were evaluated. For the most part, all the DCN structures were clearly visualized on the QSM data. The susceptibility increased as a function of volume for both the HC group and disease groups in the DN and IN (p < .001) but not the FN (p = .74). Only the volume of the FN in the TD-PD group was higher than that in the HCs (p = .012), otherwise, the volume and susceptibility among these four groups did not differ significantly. In conclusion, QSM provides clear visualization of the DCN structures. The results for the volume and susceptibility of the DCN can be used as baseline references in future studies of movement disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youmin Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei Huang
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiuyun Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijia Jin
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zenghui Cheng
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rongbiao Tang
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengdi Chen
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Naying He
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fuhua Yan
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - E Mark Haacke
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Radiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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Lesion-Specific Metabolic Alterations in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Via 7 T Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging. Invest Radiol 2023; 58:156-165. [PMID: 36094811 PMCID: PMC9835681 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) of the brain enables in vivo assessment of metabolic alterations in multiple sclerosis (MS). This provides complementary insights into lesion pathology that cannot be obtained via T1- and T2-weighted conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). PURPOSE The aims of this study were to assess focal metabolic alterations inside and at the periphery of lesions that are visible or invisible on cMRI, and to correlate their metabolic changes with T1 hypointensity and the distance of lesions to cortical gray matter (GM). METHODS A 7 T MRSI was performed on 51 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (30 female/21 male; mean age, 35.4 ± 9.9 years). Mean metabolic ratios were calculated for segmented regions of interest (ROIs) of normal-appearing white matter, white matter lesions, and focal regions of increased mIns/tNAA invisible on cMRI. A subgroup analysis was performed after subdividing based on T1 relaxation and distance to cortical GM. Metabolite ratios were correlated with T1 and compared between different layers around cMRI-visible lesions. RESULTS Focal regions of, on average, 2.8-fold higher mIns/tNAA than surrounding normal-appearing white matter and with an appearance similar to that of MS lesions were found, which were not visible on cMRI (ie, ~4% of metabolic hotspots). T1 relaxation was positively correlated with mIns/tNAA ( P ≤ 0.01), and negatively with tNAA/tCr ( P ≤ 0.01) and tCho/tCr ( P ≤ 0.01). mIns/tCr was increased outside lesions, whereas tNAA/tCr distributions resembled macroscopic tissue damage inside the lesions. mIns/tCr was -21% lower for lesions closer to cortical GM ( P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS 7 T MRSI allows in vivo visualization of focal MS pathology not visible on cMRI and the assessment of metabolite levels in the lesion center, in the active lesion periphery and in cortical lesions. This demonstrated the potential of MRSI to image mIns as an early biomarker in lesion development.
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9
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Trotier AJ, Dilharreguy B, Anandra S, Corbin N, Lefrançois W, Ozenne V, Miraux S, Ribot EJ. The Compressed Sensing MP2RAGE as a Surrogate to the MPRAGE for Neuroimaging at 3 T. Invest Radiol 2022; 57:366-378. [PMID: 35030106 PMCID: PMC9390231 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The magnetization-prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient echo (MP2RAGE) sequence provides quantitative T1 maps in addition to high-contrast morphological images. Advanced acceleration techniques such as compressed sensing (CS) allow its acquisition time to be compatible with clinical applications. To consider its routine use in future neuroimaging protocols, the repeatability of the segmented brain structures was evaluated and compared with the standard morphological sequence (magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo [MPRAGE]). The repeatability of the T1 measurements was also assessed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirteen healthy volunteers were scanned either 3 or 4 times at several days of interval, on a 3 T clinical scanner, with the 2 sequences (CS-MP2RAGE and MPRAGE), set with the same spatial resolution (0.8-mm isotropic) and scan duration (6 minutes 21 seconds). The reconstruction time of the CS-MP2RAGE outputs (including the 2 echo images, the MP2RAGE image, and the T1 map) was 3 minutes 33 seconds, using an open-source in-house algorithm implemented in the Gadgetron framework.Both precision and variability of volume measurements obtained from CAT12 and VolBrain were assessed. The T1 accuracy and repeatability were measured on phantoms and on humans and were compared with literature.Volumes obtained from the CS-MP2RAGE and the MPRAGE images were compared using Student t tests (P < 0.05 was considered significant). RESULTS The CS-MP2RAGE acquisition provided morphological images of the same quality and higher contrasts than the standard MPRAGE images. Similar intravolunteer variabilities were obtained with the CS-MP2RAGE and the MPRAGE segmentations. In addition, high-resolution T1 maps were obtained from the CS-MP2RAGE. T1 times of white and gray matters and several deep gray nuclei are consistent with the literature and show very low variability (<1%). CONCLUSIONS The CS-MP2RAGE can be used in future protocols to rapidly obtain morphological images and quantitative T1 maps in 3-dimensions while maintaining high repeatability in volumetry and relaxation times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien J. Trotier
- From the Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, UMR5536, CNRS/Université de Bordeaux
| | - Bixente Dilharreguy
- Biomedical Imaging Facility (pIBIO), UMS3767, CNRS/Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Serge Anandra
- Biomedical Imaging Facility (pIBIO), UMS3767, CNRS/Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nadège Corbin
- From the Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, UMR5536, CNRS/Université de Bordeaux
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - William Lefrançois
- From the Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, UMR5536, CNRS/Université de Bordeaux
| | - Valery Ozenne
- From the Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, UMR5536, CNRS/Université de Bordeaux
| | - Sylvain Miraux
- From the Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, UMR5536, CNRS/Université de Bordeaux
| | - Emeline J. Ribot
- From the Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, UMR5536, CNRS/Université de Bordeaux
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10
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Terracciano R, Carcamo-Bahena Y, Royal ALR, Demarchi D, Labis JS, Harris JD, Weiner BK, Gupta N, Filgueira CS. Quantitative high-resolution 7T MRI to assess longitudinal changes in articular cartilage after anterior cruciate ligament injury in a rabbit model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CARTILAGE OPEN 2022; 4:100259. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2022.100259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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11
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Olsson H, Andersen M, Kadhim M, Helms G. MP3RAGE: Simultaneous mapping of T 1 and B 1 + in human brain at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2022; 87:2637-2649. [PMID: 35037283 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To map T1 and the local flip angle ( B 1 + ) in human brain using a single MP3RAGE sequence with 3 rapid acquisitions of gradient echoes (RAGEs). THEORY AND METHODS A third RAGE with a relatively high flip angle was appended to an MP2RAGE sequence. Through curve fitting and a rational approximation for small flip angles and short TR, closed form solutions for T1 and B 1 + were derived. The influence of different k-space encoding schemes on precision and whether edge enhancement artifacts could be reduced with a saturation pulse applied prior to the third RAGE were explored. Validation of T1 estimates was performed using single-slice inversion recovery (IR) and a subsequent region-of-interest-based comparison, whereas validation of B 1 + was performed using a whole brain pixelwise comparison to a DREAM flip angle mapping protocol. Lastly, MP3RAGE was compared to T1 -mapping by MP2RAGE with separate B 1 + correction. RESULTS Whole brain maps of T1 and B 1 + at 1 mm isotropic resolution were obtained with MP3RAGE in 06:37 min. A linear-reverse centric-reverse centric phase-encoding order of the 3 RAGEs improved precision, and artifacts were successfully reduced with the saturation pulse. Estimations of T1 and B 1 + deviated +2.5 ± 3.1% and -1.7 ± 8.6% from their respective references. CONCLUSION T1 and B 1 + can be mapped simultaneously using MP3RAGE. The approach can be thought of as combining MP2RAGE with a dual flip angle T1 -mapping protocol. Both maps can be solved for analytically and will be inherently co-registered at the high resolution associated with MPRAGE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hampus Olsson
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mads Andersen
- Philips Healthcare, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Lund University Bioimaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mustafa Kadhim
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gunther Helms
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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12
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From signal-based to comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17216. [PMID: 34446804 PMCID: PMC8390767 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96791-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We present and evaluate a new insight into magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It is based on the algebraic description of the magnetization during the transient response—including intrinsic magnetic resonance parameters such as longitudinal and transverse relaxation times (T1, T2) and proton density (PD) and experimental conditions such as radiofrequency field (B1) and constant/homogeneous magnetic field (B0) from associated scanners. We exploit the correspondence among three different elements: the signal evolution as a result of a repetitive sequence of blocks of radiofrequency excitation pulses and encoding gradients, the continuous Bloch equations and the mathematical description of a sequence as a linear system. This approach simultaneously provides, in a single measurement, all quantitative parameters of interest as well as associated system imperfections. Finally, we demonstrate the in-vivo applicability of the new concept on a clinical MRI scanner.
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13
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Lena B, Bos C, Ferrer CJ, Moonen CTW, Viergever MA, Bartels LW. Rapid 2D variable flip angle method for accurate and precise T 1 measurements over a wide range of T 1 values. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4542. [PMID: 34031938 PMCID: PMC8365751 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To perform dynamic T1 mapping using a 2D variable flip angle (VFA) method, a correction for the slice profile effect is needed. In this work we investigated the impact of flip angle selection and excitation RF pulse profile on the performance of slice profile correction when applied to T1 mapping over a range of T1 values. METHODS A correction of the slice profile effect is proposed, based on Bloch simulation of steady-state signals. With this correction, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to assess the accuracy and precision of 2D VFA T1 mapping in the presence of noise, for RF pulses with time-bandwidth products of 2, 3 and 10 and with flip angle pairs in the range [1°-90°]. To evaluate its performance over a wide range of T1 , maximum errors were calculated for six T1 values between 50 ms and 1250 ms. The method was demonstrated using in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS Without corrections, 2D VFA severely underestimates T1 . Slice profile errors were effectively reduced with the correction based on simulations, both in vitro and in vivo. The precision and accuracy of the method depend on the nominal T1 values, the FA pair, and the RF pulse shape. FA pairs leading to <5% errors in T1 can be identified for the common RF shapes, for T1 values between 50 ms and 1250 ms. CONCLUSIONS 2D VFA T1 mapping with Bloch-simulation-based correction can deliver T1 estimates that are accurate and precise to within 5% over a wide T1 range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Lena
- Image Sciences Institute, Imaging and Oncology DivisionUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Image Guided Molecular Interventions Group, Imaging and Oncology DivisionUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Clemens Bos
- Image Guided Molecular Interventions Group, Imaging and Oncology DivisionUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Cyril J. Ferrer
- Image Guided Molecular Interventions Group, Imaging and Oncology DivisionUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Chrit T. W. Moonen
- Image Guided Molecular Interventions Group, Imaging and Oncology DivisionUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Max A. Viergever
- Image Sciences Institute, Imaging and Oncology DivisionUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Lambertus W. Bartels
- Image Sciences Institute, Imaging and Oncology DivisionUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Image Guided Molecular Interventions Group, Imaging and Oncology DivisionUniversity Medical Center UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
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14
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Virtual non-contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (VNC-MRI). Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 81:67-74. [PMID: 34119648 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Application of contrast agents (CA) is widely used in various clinical fields like oncology. Similar to approaches used in computed tomography, virtual non-contrast enhanced (VNC) images can be generated with the goal to supersede true non-contrast enhanced (TNC) images. METHODS In MRI a T1-mapping sequence with variable flip angle (VFA) was used to acquire two images with different image contrast at the same time. To generate VNC images postprocessing based on this technique, an image-space based material decomposition algorithm was used. The inverse of a sensitivity matrix, consisting of intensity values for both VFA images and every material respectively, was used to determine the three material fractions and to calculate the final VNC images. The technique was tested on a 3 T scanner using a phantom and two in-vivo scans of patients with glioma and glioblastoma respectively. In all these cases the required six values were manually derived from the respective material or the background from both VFA images. RESULTS Postprocessing results of the phantom show that the chosen materials can be separated and visualized individually and unwanted materials can be suppressed. In the VNC images of in-vivo scans the signal of the CA is removed successfully. CONCLUSION It was shown that VNC images that match the visual impression of the TNC images can be generated, resulting in possibly reduced scan times and avoided mismatches due to movement of the patient.
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15
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Li Z, Fu Z, Keerthivasan M, Bilgin A, Johnson K, Galons JP, Vedantham S, Martin DR, Altbach MI. Rapid high-resolution volumetric T 1 mapping using a highly accelerated stack-of-stars Look Locker technique. Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 79:28-37. [PMID: 33722634 PMCID: PMC8107135 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a fast volumetric T1 mapping technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS A stack-of-stars (SOS) Look Locker technique based on the acquisition of undersampled radial data (>30× relative to Nyquist) and an efficient multi-slab excitation scheme is presented. A principal-component based reconstruction is used to reconstruct T1 maps. Computer simulations were performed to determine the best choice of partitions per slab and degree of undersampling. The technique was validated in phantoms against reference T1 values measured with a 2D Cartesian inversion-recovery spin-echo technique. The SOS Look Locker technique was tested in brain (n = 4) and prostate (n = 5). Brain T1 mapping was carried out with and without kz acceleration and results between the two approaches were compared. Prostate T1 mapping was compared to standard techniques. A reproducibility study was conducted in brain and prostate. Statistical analyses were performed using linear regression and Bland Altman analysis. RESULTS Phantom T1 values showed excellent correlations between SOS Look Locker and the inversion-recovery spin-echo reference (r2 = 0.9965; p < 0.0001) and between SOS Look Locker with slab-selective and non-slab selective inversion pulses (r2 = 0.9999; p < 0.0001). In vivo results showed that full brain T1 mapping (1 mm3) with kz acceleration is achieved in 4 min 21 s. Full prostate T1 mapping (0.9 × 0.9 × 4 mm3) is achieved in 2 min 43 s. T1 values for brain and prostate were in agreement with literature values. A reproducibility study showed coefficients of variation in the range of 0.18-0.2% (brain) and 0.15-0.18% (prostate). CONCLUSION A rapid volumetric T1 mapping technique was developed. The technique enables high-resolution T1 mapping with adequate anatomical coverage in a clinically acceptable time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhitao Li
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Zhiyang Fu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Mahesh Keerthivasan
- Department of Medical Imaging, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Siemens Healthcare USA, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Ali Bilgin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Kevin Johnson
- Department of Medical Imaging, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | | | | | - Diego R Martin
- Department of Medical Imaging, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Maria I Altbach
- Department of Medical Imaging, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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16
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Choi S, Spini M, Hua J, Harrison DM. Blood-brain barrier breakdown in non-enhancing multiple sclerosis lesions detected by 7-Tesla MP2RAGE ΔT1 mapping. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249973. [PMID: 33901207 PMCID: PMC8075220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is altered in most multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions, gadolinium enhancement is seen only in acute lesions. In this study, we aimed to investigate gadolinium-induced changes in T1 relaxation time in MS lesions on 7-tesla (7T) MRI as a means to quantify BBB breakdown in non-enhancing MS lesions. Forty-seven participants with MS underwent 7T MRI of the brain with a magnitude-prepared rapid acquisition of 2 gradient echoes (MP2RAGE) sequence before and after contrast. Subtraction of pre- and post-contrast T1 maps was used to measure T1 relaxation time change (ΔT1) from gadolinium. ΔT1 values were interrogated in enhancing white matter lesions (ELs), non-enhancing white matter lesions (NELs), and normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and metrics were compared to clinical data. ΔT1 was measurable in NELs (median: -0.139 (-0.304, 0.174) seconds; p < 0.001) and was negligible in NAWM (median: -0.001 (-0.036, 0.155) seconds; p = 0.516). Median ΔT1 in NELs correlated with disability as measured by Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) (rho = -0.331, p = 0.026). Multiple measures of NEL ΔT1 variability also correlated with EDSS. NEL ΔT1 values were greater and more variable in patients with progressive forms of MS and greater in those not on MS treatment. Measurement of the changes in T1 relaxation time caused by contrast on 7T MP2RAGE reveals clinically relevant evidence of BBB breakdown in NELs in MS. This data suggests that NEL ΔT1 should be evaluated further as a potential biomarker of persistently disrupted BBB in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongjin Choi
- Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Margaret Spini
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jun Hua
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United Stated of America
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Daniel M. Harrison
- Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Bilingualism is a long-term cognitively challenging experience that modulates metabolite concentrations in the healthy brain. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7090. [PMID: 33782462 PMCID: PMC8007713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86443-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitively demanding experiences, including complex skill acquisition and processing, have been shown to induce brain adaptations, at least at the macroscopic level, e.g. on brain volume and/or functional connectivity. However, the neurobiological bases of these adaptations, including at the cellular level, are unclear and understudied. Here we use bilingualism as a case study to investigate the metabolic correlates of experience-based brain adaptations. We employ Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to measure metabolite concentrations in the basal ganglia, a region critical to language control which is reshaped by bilingualism. Our results show increased myo-Inositol and decreased N-acetyl aspartate concentrations in bilinguals compared to monolinguals. Both metabolites are linked to synaptic pruning, a process underlying experience-based brain restructuring. Interestingly, both concentrations correlate with relative amount of bilingual engagement. This suggests that degree of long-term cognitive experiences matters at the level of metabolic concentrations, which might accompany, if not drive, macroscopic brain adaptations.
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18
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Sanchez Panchuelo RM, Mougin O, Turner R, Francis ST. Quantitative T1 mapping using multi-slice multi-shot inversion recovery EPI. Neuroimage 2021; 234:117976. [PMID: 33781969 PMCID: PMC8204273 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An efficient multi-slice inversion–recovery EPI (MS-IR-EPI) sequence for fast, high spatial resolution, quantitative T1 mapping is presented, using a segmented simultaneous multi-slice acquisition, combined with slice order shifting across multiple acquisitions. The segmented acquisition minimises the effective TE and readout duration compared to a single-shot EPI scheme, reducing geometric distortions to provide high quality T1 maps with a narrow point-spread function. The precision and repeatability of MS-IR-EPI T1 measurements are assessed using both T1-calibrated and T2-calibrated ISMRM/NIST phantom spheres at 3 and 7 T and compared with single slice IR and MP2RAGE methods. Magnetization transfer (MT) effects of the spectrally-selective fat-suppression (FS) pulses required for in vivo imaging are shown to shorten the measured in-vivo T1 values. We model the effect of these fat suppression pulses on T1 measurements and show that the model can remove their MT contribution from the measured T1, thus providing accurate T1 quantification. High spatial resolution T1 maps of the human brain generated with MS-IR-EPI at 7 T are compared with those generated with the widely implemented MP2RAGE sequence. Our MS-IR-EPI sequence provides high SNR per unit time and sharper T1 maps than MP2RAGE, demonstrating the potential for ultra-high resolution T1 mapping and the improved discrimination of functionally relevant cortical areas in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa M Sanchez Panchuelo
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
| | - Olivier Mougin
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Turner
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susan T Francis
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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19
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Jona G, Furman‐Haran E, Schmidt R. Realistic head-shaped phantom with brain-mimicking metabolites for 7 T spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4421. [PMID: 33015864 PMCID: PMC7757235 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Moving to ultra-high fields (≥7 T), the inhomogeneity of both RF (B1 ) and static (B0 ) magnetic fields increases, which further motivates us to design a realistic head-shaped phantom, especially for spectroscopic imaging. Such phantoms provide images similar to the human brain and serve as a reliable tool for developing and examining methods in MRI. This study aims to develop and characterize a realistic head-shaped phantom filled with brain-mimicking metabolites for MRS and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging in a 7 T MRI scanner. METHODS A 3D head-shaped container with three sections-mimicking brain, muscle and precranial lipid-was constructed. The phantom was designed to provide robustness to heating, mechanical damage and leakage, with easy refilling. The head's shape and the agarose mixture were optimized to provide B0 and B1 distributions and T1 /T2 relaxation values similar to those of human brain. Eight brain-tissue-mimicking metabolites were included for spectroscopy. The phantom was evaluated for localized spectroscopy, fast spectroscopic imaging and fat suppression. RESULTS The B0 and B1 maps showed distribution similar to that of human brain, with increased B0 inhomogeneity near the nasal and ear areas and reduced B1 in the temporal lobe and brain stem regions, as expected in vivo. The metabolites' concentrations were verified by single-voxel spectroscopy, showing an average deviation of 11%. Fast spectroscopic imaging and imaging with fat suppression were demonstrated. CONCLUSION A 3D head-shaped phantom for human brain imaging and spectroscopic imaging in 7 T MRI was demonstrated, making it a realistic phantom for methodology development at 7 T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghil Jona
- Life Sciences Core FacilitiesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Edna Furman‐Haran
- Life Sciences Core FacilitiesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and ResearchWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Rita Schmidt
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and ResearchWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
- Neurobiology DepartmentWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
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20
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Leroi L, Gras V, Boulant N, Ripart M, Poirion E, Santin MD, Valabregue R, Mauconduit F, Hertz‐Pannier L, Le Bihan D, Rochefort L, Vignaud A. Simultaneous proton density, T
1
, T
2
, and flip‐angle mapping of the brain at 7 T using multiparametric 3D SSFP imaging and parallel‐transmission universal pulses. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:3286-3299. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Leroi
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
| | - Vincent Gras
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
| | - Nicolas Boulant
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
| | - Mathilde Ripart
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
| | - Emilie Poirion
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
- ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 UMR S1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière Paris France
| | - Mathieu D. Santin
- ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 UMR S1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière Paris France
- CENIR, ICM, Hôpital Pitié‐Salpêtrière Paris France
| | - Romain Valabregue
- ICM, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06 UMR S1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière Paris France
- CENIR, ICM, Hôpital Pitié‐Salpêtrière Paris France
| | - Franck Mauconduit
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
| | | | - Denis Le Bihan
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
| | - Ludovic Rochefort
- Aix‐Marseille University, CNRS, CRMBM (Center for Magnetic Resonance in Biology and Medicine‐UMR 7339) Marseille France
| | - Alexandre Vignaud
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin Gif‐sur‐Yvette France
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21
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Delgado PR, Kuehne A, Periquito JS, Millward JM, Pohlmann A, Waiczies S, Niendorf T. B 1 inhomogeneity correction of RARE MRI with transceive surface radiofrequency probes. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:2684-2701. [PMID: 32447779 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The use of surface radiofrequency (RF) coils is common practice to boost sensitivity in (pre)clinical MRI. The number of transceive surface RF coils is rapidly growing due to the surge in cryogenically cooled RF technology and ultrahigh-field MRI. Consequently, there is an increasing need for effective correction of the excitation field ( B 1 + ) inhomogeneity inherent in these coils. Retrospective B1 correction permits quantitative MRI, but this usually requires a pulse sequence-specific analytical signal intensity (SI) equation. Such an equation is not available for fast spin-echo (Rapid Acquisition with Relaxation Enhancement, RARE) MRI. Here we present, test, and validate retrospective B1 correction methods for RARE. METHODS We implemented the commonly used sensitivity correction and developed an empirical model-based method and a hybrid combination of both. Tests and validations were performed with a cryogenically cooled RF probe and a single-loop RF coil. Accuracy of SI quantification and T1 contrast were evaluated after correction. RESULTS The three described correction methods achieved dramatic improvements in B1 homogeneity and significantly improved SI quantification and T1 contrast, with mean SI errors reduced from >40% to >10% following correction in all cases. Upon correction, images of phantoms and mouse heads demonstrated homogeneity comparable to that of images acquired with a volume resonator. This was quantified by SI profile, SI ratio (error < 10%), and percentage of integral uniformity (PIU > 80% in vivo and ex vivo compared to PIU > 87% with the reference RF coil). CONCLUSION This work demonstrates the efficacy of three B1 correction methods tailored for transceive surface RF probes and RARE MRI. The corrected images are suitable for quantification and show comparable results between the three methods, opening the way for T1 measurements and X-nuclei quantification using surface transceiver RF coils. This approach is applicable to other MR techniques for which no analytical SI exists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Ramos Delgado
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a joint cooperation between the Charité Medical Faculty and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - João S Periquito
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a joint cooperation between the Charité Medical Faculty and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jason M Millward
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Pohlmann
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sonia Waiczies
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thoralf Niendorf
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a joint cooperation between the Charité Medical Faculty and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.,MRI.TOOLS GmbH, Berlin, Germany
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22
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Shiina Y, Taniguchi K, Nagao M, Takahashi T, Niwa K, Kawakubo M, Inai K. The relationship between extracellular volume fraction in symptomatic adults with tetralogy of Fallot and adverse cardiac events. J Cardiol 2020; 75:424-431. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2019.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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23
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Olsson H, Andersen M, Lätt J, Wirestam R, Helms G. Reducing bias in dual flip angle T
1
‐mapping in human brain at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:1347-1358. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hampus Olsson
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics Clinical Sciences Lund Lund University Lund Sweden
| | | | - Jimmy Lätt
- Center for Medical Imaging and Physiology Skane University Hospital Lund Sweden
| | - Ronnie Wirestam
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics Clinical Sciences Lund Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Gunther Helms
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics Clinical Sciences Lund Lund University Lund Sweden
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24
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Reeth EV, Ratiney H, Tse Ve Koon K, Tesch M, Grenier D, Beuf O, Glaser SJ, Sugny D. A simplified framework to optimize MRI contrast preparation. Magn Reson Med 2018; 81:424-438. [PMID: 30265759 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This article proposes a rigorous optimal control framework for the design of preparation schemes that optimize MRI contrast based on relaxation time differences. METHODS Compared to previous optimal contrast preparation schemes, a drastic reduction of the optimization parameter number is performed. The preparation scheme is defined as a combination of several block pulses whose flip angles, phase terms and inter-pulse delays are optimized to control the magnetization evolution. RESULTS The proposed approach reduces the computation time of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>B</mml:mi> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn></mml:msub> </mml:math> -robust preparation schemes to around a minute (whereas several hours were required with previous schemes), with negligible performance loss. The chosen parameterization allows to formulate the total preparation duration as a constraint, which improves the overall compromise between contrast performance and preparation time. Simulation, in vitro and in vivo results validate this improvement, illustrate the straightforward applicability of the proposed approach, and point out its flexibility in terms of achievable contrasts. Major improvement is especially achieved for short-T2 enhancement, as shown by the acquisition of a non-trivial contrast on a rat brain, where a short-T2 white matter structure (corpus callosum) is enhanced compared to surrounding gray matter tissues (hippocampus and neocortex). CONCLUSIONS This approach proposes key advances for the design of optimal contrast preparation sequences, that emphasize their ability to generate non-standard contrasts, their potential benefit in a clinical context, and their straightforward applicability on any MR system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Van Reeth
- CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1206, Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Etienne, Lyon, France
| | - Hélène Ratiney
- CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1206, Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Etienne, Lyon, France
| | - Kevin Tse Ve Koon
- CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1206, Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Etienne, Lyon, France
| | - Michael Tesch
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Denis Grenier
- CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1206, Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Etienne, Lyon, France
| | - Olivier Beuf
- CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1206, Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Etienne, Lyon, France
| | - Steffen J Glaser
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dominique Sugny
- ICB, CNRS UMR5209, Université de Bourgogne, France.,Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
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25
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Rejimon AC, Lee DY, Bergeron CM, Zhuo Y, Qian W, Spencer RG, Bouhrara M. Rapid B 1 field mapping at 3 T using the 180° signal null method with extended flip angle. Magn Reson Imaging 2018; 53:173-179. [PMID: 29958867 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2018.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To extend the null signal method (NSM) for B1 mapping to 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). BACKGROUND The NSM operates in the steady state regime and exploits the linearity of the spoiled gradient recalled echo (SPGR) signal around the 180° flip angle (FA). Using linear regression, B1 maps are derived from three SPGR images acquired at different FAs with a short repetition time. While the conventional NSM allows accurate mapping of B1 for moderate B1 variation, we observed that this method fails for the larger B1 variations typical of high-field MRI. METHODS We analyzed the effect of the FA range of the acquired SPGR images on B1 determination using the NSM for 3 T MRI through extensive numerical and in vivo analyses. B1 maps derived from the extended angle-range NSM (EA-NSM) were calculated and compared to those derived from the conventional, more restricted angle range, NSM, and to those derived from the reference, but much more time-consuming, double angle method (DAM). Furthermore, we investigated the compatibility of EA-NSM B1 mapping and the half-scan and SENSE reconstruction methods for accelerating acquisition time. RESULTS Our results show that the use of the conventional FA range leads to substantial inaccuracies in B1 determination. Both numerical and in vivo analyses demonstrate that expanding the FA range of the acquired SPGR images substantially improves the accuracy of B1 maps. Furthermore, B1 maps derived from EA-NSM were demonstrated to be quantitatively comparable to those derived from the lengthy DAM protocol. We also found that B1 maps derived from SPGR images using the EA-NSM and imaging acceleration methods were comparable to those derived from images acquired without acceleration. Finally, the use of half scanning combined with SENSE reconstruction permits whole-brain B1 mapping in ~1 min. CONCLUSIONS The EA-NSM permits accurate, fast, and practical B1 mapping in a 3 T clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abinand C Rejimon
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Diana Y Lee
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Christopher M Bergeron
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - You Zhuo
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Wenshu Qian
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Richard G Spencer
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Mustapha Bouhrara
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, NIH, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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26
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Wang Y, Chen Y, Wu D, Wang Y, Sethi SK, Yang G, Xie H, Xia S, Haacke EM. STrategically Acquired Gradient Echo (STAGE) imaging, part II: Correcting for RF inhomogeneities in estimating T1 and proton density. Magn Reson Imaging 2017; 46:140-150. [PMID: 29061370 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a method for mapping the B1 transmit (B1t) and B1 receive (B1r) fields from two gradient echo datasets each with a different flip angle and from these two images obtain accurate T1 and proton density (PD) maps of the brain. METHODS A strategically acquired gradient echo (STAGE) data set is collected using two flip angles each with multiple echoes. The B1t field extraction was based on forcing cortical gray matter and white matter to have specific T1 values and fitting the resulting B1t field to a quadratic function. The B1r field extraction was based on synthesizing isointense images despite there being two or three tissue types present in the brain. This method was tested on 10 healthy volunteers and 20 stroke patients from data acquired at 3.0Tesla. RESULTS With the knowledge of the B1t and B1r fields, the uniformity of tissue T1 and PD maps was considerably improved. T1 values were measured for both the midbrain and basal ganglia and found to be in good agreement with the literature. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS STAGE provides a practical way to assess the B1t and the B1r fields which can then be used to correct for spatial variations in the images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- Sino-Dutch Biomedical and Information Engineering School, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China; The MRI Institute for Biomedical Research, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Dongmei Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Sean K Sethi
- The MRI Institute for Biomedical Research, Detroit, MI, USA; Magnetic Resonance Innovations, Inc., Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Guang Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haibin Xie
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuang Xia
- Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - E Mark Haacke
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Sino-Dutch Biomedical and Information Engineering School, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China; The MRI Institute for Biomedical Research, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; Magnetic Resonance Innovations, Inc., Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
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27
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Nguyen TD, Spincemaille P, Gauthier SA, Wang Y. Rapid whole brain myelin water content mapping without an external water standard at 1.5 T. Magn Reson Imaging 2017; 39:82-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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28
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Nabavizadeh SA, Pechersky D, Schmitt JE, Nasrallah M, Wolf R, Loevner L, Mamourian AC. Perilesional Hyperintensity on T1-Weighted Images in Intra-Axial Brain Masses other than Cavernous Malformations. J Neuroimaging 2017; 27:531-538. [DOI: 10.1111/jon.12424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S. Ali Nabavizadeh
- Department of Radiology; Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia PA
| | - Dasha Pechersky
- Department of Radiology; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chicago IL
| | - J. Eric Schmitt
- Department of Radiology; Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia PA
| | - MacLean Nasrallah
- Department of Radiology; Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia PA
| | - Ronald Wolf
- Department of Radiology; Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia PA
| | - Laurie Loevner
- Department of Radiology; Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia PA
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29
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What are normal relaxation times of tissues at 3 T? Magn Reson Imaging 2017; 35:69-80. [PMID: 27594531 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2016.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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30
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Niendorf T, Paul K, Oezerdem C, Graessl A, Klix S, Huelnhagen T, Hezel F, Rieger J, Waiczies H, Frahm J, Nagel AM, Oberacker E, Winter L. W(h)ither human cardiac and body magnetic resonance at ultrahigh fields? technical advances, practical considerations, applications, and clinical opportunities. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2016; 29:1173-97. [PMID: 25706103 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 12/26/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to document and review advances and groundbreaking progress in cardiac and body MR at ultrahigh fields (UHF, B0 ≥ 7.0 T) with the goal to attract talent, clinical adopters, collaborations and resources to the biomedical and diagnostic imaging communities. This review surveys traits, advantages and challenges of cardiac and body MR at 7.0 T. The considerations run the gamut from technical advances to clinical opportunities. Key concepts, emerging technologies, practical considerations, frontier applications and future directions of UHF body and cardiac MR are provided. Examples of UHF cardiac and body imaging strategies are demonstrated. Their added value over the kindred counterparts at lower fields is explored along with an outline of research promises. The achievements of cardiac and body UHF-MR are powerful motivators and enablers, since extra speed, signal and imaging capabilities may be invested to overcome the fundamental constraints that continue to hamper traditional cardiac and body MR applications. If practical obstacles, concomitant physics effects and technical impediments can be overcome in equal measure, sophisticated cardiac and body UHF-MR will help to open the door to new MRI and MRS approaches for basic research and clinical science, with the lessons learned at 7.0 T being transferred into broad clinical use including diagnostics and therapy guiding at lower fields. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thoralf Niendorf
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Paul
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Celal Oezerdem
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Graessl
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabrina Klix
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Huelnhagen
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fabian Hezel
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Jens Frahm
- Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH, am Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Armin M Nagel
- Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Oberacker
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lukas Winter
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (BUFF), Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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31
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Population imaging in neuroepidemiology. Neuroepidemiology 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-802973-2.00005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] Open
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32
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Rioux JA, Levesque IR, Rutt BK. Biexponential longitudinal relaxation in white matter: Characterization and impact on T1 mapping with IR-FSE and MP2RAGE. Magn Reson Med 2015; 75:2265-77. [PMID: 26190230 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Magnetization transfer in white matter (WM) causes biexponential relaxation, but most quantitative T1 measurements fit data assuming monoexponential relaxation. The resulting monoexponential T1 estimate varies based on scan parameters and represents a source of variation between studies, especially at high fields. In this study, we characterized WM T1 relaxation and performed simulations to determine how to minimize this deviation. METHODS To characterize biexponential relaxation, four volunteers were scanned at 3T and 7T using inversion recovery fast spin echo (IR-FSE) with 13 inversion times (TIs). Three volunteers were scanned with IR-FSE using TIs chosen by simulations to reduce T1 deviation, and with MP2RAGE. RESULTS At 3T, the biexponential relaxation has a short component of T1 = 48 ms (9%) and a long component of T1 = 939 ms. At 7T the short component is T1 = 57 ms (11%) and the long component is 1349 ms (89%). For IR-FSE, acquiring four TIs with a minimum of 150 ms (3T) or 200 ms (7T) yielded monoexponential T1 estimates that match the long component to within 10 ms. For MP2RAGE, significant differences (90 ms at 3T, 125 ms at 7T) remain at all parameter values. CONCLUSION Many T1 mapping sequences yield robust estimates of the long T1 component with suitable choice of TIs, allowing reproducible, sequence-independent T1 values to be measured. However, this is not true of MP2RAGE in its current implementation. Magn Reson Med 75:2265-2277, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Rioux
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ives R Levesque
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Medical Physics Unit, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Brian K Rutt
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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33
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Hsu JJ. Flip-angle profile of slice-selective excitation and the measurement of the MR longitudinal relaxation time with steady-state magnetization. Phys Med Biol 2015; 60:5785-801. [PMID: 26159799 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/60/15/5785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In MRI, the flip angle (FA) of slice-selective excitation is not uniform across the slice-thickness dimension. This work investigates the effect of the non-uniform FA profile on the accuracy of a commonly-used method for the measurement, in which the T1 value, i.e., the longitudinal relaxation time, is determined from the steady-state signals of an equally-spaced RF pulse train. By using the numerical solutions of the Bloch equation, it is shown that, because of the non-uniform FA profile, the outcome of the T1 measurement depends significantly on T1 of the specimen and on the FA and the inter-pulse spacing τ of the pulse train. A new method to restore the accuracy of the T1 measurement is described. Different from the existing approaches, the new method also removes the FA profile effect for the measurement of the FA, which is normally a part of the T1 measurement. In addition, the new method does not involve theoretical modeling, approximation, or modification to the underlying principle of the T1 measurement. An imaging experiment is performed, which shows that the new method can remove the FA-, the τ-, and the T1-dependence and produce T1 measurements in excellent agreement with the ones obtained from a gold standard method (the inversion-recovery method).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Jiin Hsu
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco VA Medical Center and Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement Street Building 13 (114M), San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
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34
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Wood TC. Improved formulas for the two optimum VFA flip-angles. Magn Reson Med 2015; 74:1-3. [PMID: 25754124 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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