1
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Wang D, Stirnberg R, Stöcker T. Improved gradient echo magnitude- and phase-based mapping of T 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ using multiple RF spoiling increments at 3T and 7T. Magn Reson Med 2024. [PMID: 38987985 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30217] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The transverse relaxation time T 2 $$ {}_2 $$ holds significant relevance in clinical applications and research studies. Conventional T 2 $$ {}_2 $$ mapping approaches rely on spin-echo sequences, which require lengthy acquisition times and involve high radiofrequency (RF) power deposition. An alternative gradient echo (GRE) phase-based T 2 $$ {}_2 $$ mapping method, utilizing steady-state acquisitions at one small RF spoil phase increment, was recently demonstrated. Here, a modified magnitude- and phase-based T 2 $$ {}_2 $$ mapping approach is proposed, which improvesT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ estimations by simultaneous fitting ofT 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ and signal amplitude (A ∝ P D $$ A\propto PD $$ ) at three or more RF spoiling phase increments, instead of assuming a fixedT 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ value. METHODS The feasibility of the magnitude-phase-based method was assessed by simulations, in phantom and in vivo experiments using skipped-CAIPI three-dimensional-echo-planar imaging (3D-EPI) for rapid GRE imaging.T 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ ,T 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ and PD estimations obtained by our method were compared toT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ of the phase-based method andT 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ and PD of spoiled GRE-based multi-parameter mapping using a multi-echo version of the same sequence. RESULTS The agreement of the proposedT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ with ground truth and referenceT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ values was higher than that of phase-basedT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ in simulations and in phantom data. While phase-basedT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ overestimation increases with actualT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ andT 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ , the proposed method is accurate over a large range of physiologically meaningfulT 2 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_2 $$ andT 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ values. At the same time, precision is improved. In vivo results were in line with these observations. CONCLUSION Accurate magnitude-phase-based T 2 $$ {}_2 $$ mapping is feasible in less than 5 min scan time for 1 mm nominal isotropic whole-head coverage at 3T and 7T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Difei Wang
- MR Physics, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Stirnberg
- MR Physics, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Tony Stöcker
- MR Physics, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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2
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Chen X, Wu W, Chiew M. Motion compensated structured low-rank reconstruction for 3D multi-shot EPI. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:2443-2458. [PMID: 38361309 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The 3D multi-shot EPI imaging offers several benefits including higher SNR and high isotropic resolution compared to 2D single shot EPI. However, it suffers from shot-to-shot inconsistencies arising from physiologically induced phase variations and bulk motion. This work proposed a motion compensated structured low-rank (mcSLR) reconstruction method to address both issues for 3D multi-shot EPI. METHODS Structured low-rank reconstruction has been successfully used in previous work to deal with inter-shot phase variations for 3D multi-shot EPI imaging. It circumvents the estimation of phase variations by reconstructing an individual image for each phase state which are then sum-of-squares combined, exploiting their linear interdependency encoded in structured low-rank constraints. However, structured low-rank constraints become less effective in the presence of inter-shot motion, which corrupts image magnitude consistency and invalidates the linear relationship between shots. Thus, this work jointly models inter-shot phase variations and motion corruptions by incorporating rigid motion compensation for structured low-rank reconstruction, where motion estimates are obtained in a fully data-driven way without relying on external hardware or imaging navigators. RESULTS Simulation and in vivo experiments at 7T have demonstrated that the mcSLR method can effectively reduce image artifacts and improve the robustness of 3D multi-shot EPI, outperforming existing methods which only address inter-shot phase variations or motion, but not both. CONCLUSION The proposed mcSLR reconstruction compensates for rigid motion, and thus improves the validity of structured low-rank constraints, resulting in improved robustness of 3D multi-shot EPI to both inter-shot motion and phase variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Wenchuan Wu
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Mark Chiew
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Amor Z, Ciuciu P, G R C, Daval-Frérot G, Mauconduit F, Thirion B, Vignaud A. Non-Cartesian 3D-SPARKLING vs Cartesian 3D-EPI encoding schemes for functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 7 Tesla. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299925. [PMID: 38739571 PMCID: PMC11090341 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The quest for higher spatial and/or temporal resolution in functional MRI (fMRI) while preserving a sufficient temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) has generated a tremendous amount of methodological contributions in the last decade ranging from Cartesian vs. non-Cartesian readouts, 2D vs. 3D acquisition strategies, parallel imaging and/or compressed sensing (CS) accelerations and simultaneous multi-slice acquisitions to cite a few. In this paper, we investigate the use of a finely tuned version of 3D-SPARKLING. This is a non-Cartesian CS-based acquisition technique for high spatial resolution whole-brain fMRI. We compare it to state-of-the-art Cartesian 3D-EPI during both a retinotopic mapping paradigm and resting-state acquisitions at 1mm3 (isotropic spatial resolution). This study involves six healthy volunteers and both acquisition sequences were run on each individual in a randomly-balanced order across subjects. The performances of both acquisition techniques are compared to each other in regards to tSNR, sensitivity to the BOLD effect and spatial specificity. Our findings reveal that 3D-SPARKLING has a higher tSNR than 3D-EPI, an improved sensitivity to detect the BOLD contrast in the gray matter, and an improved spatial specificity. Compared to 3D-EPI, 3D-SPARKLING yields, on average, 7% more activated voxels in the gray matter relative to the total number of activated voxels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaineb Amor
- CEA, Joliot, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Philippe Ciuciu
- CEA, Joliot, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Inria, MIND team, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
| | - Chaithya G R
- CEA, Joliot, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Inria, MIND team, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
| | - Guillaume Daval-Frérot
- CEA, Joliot, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Inria, MIND team, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
- Siemens Heathineers, Courbevoie, France
| | - Franck Mauconduit
- CEA, Joliot, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Bertrand Thirion
- CEA, Joliot, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Inria, MIND team, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
| | - Alexandre Vignaud
- CEA, Joliot, NeuroSpin, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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4
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Zhang Y, Ye Z, Xia C, Tan Y, Zhang M, Lv X, Tang J, Li Z. Clinical Applications and Recent Updates of Simultaneous Multi-slice Technique in Accelerated MRI. Acad Radiol 2024; 31:1976-1988. [PMID: 38220568 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2023.12.032] [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: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acceleration technique that utilizes multi-band radio-frequency pulses to simultaneously excite and encode multiple slices. Currently, SMS has been widely studied and applied in the MRI examination to reduce acquisition time, which can significantly improve the examination efficiency and patient throughput. Moreover, SMS technique can improve spatial resolution, which is of great value in disease diagnosis, treatment response monitoring, and prognosis prediction. This review will briefly introduce the technical principles of SMS, and summarize its current clinical applications. More importantly, we will discuss the recent technical progress and future research direction of SMS, hoping to highlight the clinical value and scientific potential of this technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiteng Zhang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Zheng Ye
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Chunchao Xia
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuqi Tan
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinyang Lv
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Tang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhenlin Li
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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5
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Naji N, Wilman A. Thin slab quantitative susceptibility mapping. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:2290-2305. [PMID: 37526029 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Susceptibility maps reconstructed from thin slabs may suffer underestimation due to background-field removal imperfections near slab boundaries and the increased difficulty of solving a 3D-inversion problem with reduced support, particularly in the direction of the main magnetic field. Reliable QSM reconstruction from thin slabs would enable focal acquisitions in a much-reduced scan time. METHODS This work proposes using additional rapid low-resolution data of extended spatial coverage to improve background-field estimation and regularize the inversion-to-susceptibility process for high resolution, thin slab data. The new method was tested using simulated and in-vivo brain data of high resolution (0.33 × 0.33 × 0.33 mm3 and 0.54 × 0.54 × 0.65 mm3 , respectively) at 3T, and compared to the standard large volume approach. RESULTS Using the proposed method, in-vivo high-resolution QSM at 3T was obtained from slabs of width as small as 10.4 mm, aided by a lower-resolution dataset of 24 times coarser voxels. Simulations showed that the proposed method produced more consistent measurements from slabs of at least eight slices. Reducing the mean ROI error to 5% required the low-resolution data to cover ˜60 mm in the direction of the main field, have at least 2-mm isotropic resolution that is not coarser than the high-resolution data by more than four-fold in any direction. CONCLUSION Applying the proposed method enabled focal QSM acquisitions at sub-millimeter resolution within reasonable acquisition time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashwan Naji
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alan Wilman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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6
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Li B, Li N, Wang Z, Balan R, Ernst T. Simultaneous multislice EPI prospective motion correction by real-time receiver phase correction and coil sensitivity map interpolation. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:1932-1948. [PMID: 37448116 PMCID: PMC10795703 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To improve the image reconstruction for prospective motion correction (PMC) of simultaneous multislice (SMS) EPI of the brain, an update of receiver phase and resampling of coil sensitivities are proposed and evaluated. METHODS A camera-based system was used to track head motion (3 translations and 3 rotations) and dynamically update the scan position and orientation. We derived the change in receiver phase associated with a shifted field of view (FOV) and applied it in real-time to each k-space line of the EPI readout trains. Second, for the SMS reconstruction, we adapted resampled coil sensitivity profiles reflecting the movement of slices. Single-shot gradient-echo SMS-EPI scans were performed in phantoms and human subjects for validation. RESULTS Brain SMS-EPI scans in the presence of motion with PMC and no phase correction for scan plane shift showed noticeable artifacts. These artifacts were visually and quantitatively attenuated when corrections were enabled. Correcting misaligned coil sensitivity maps improved the temporal SNR (tSNR) of time series by 24% (p = 0.0007) for scans with large movements (up to ˜35 mm and 30°). Correcting the receiver phase improved the tSNR of a scan with minimal head movement by 50% from 50 to 75 for a United Kingdom biobank protocol. CONCLUSION Reconstruction-induced motion artifacts in single-shot SMS-EPI scans acquired with PMC can be removed by dynamically adjusting the receiver phase of each line across EPI readout trains and updating coil sensitivity profiles during reconstruction. The method may be a valuable tool for SMS-EPI scans in the presence of subject motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ningzhi Li
- U.S. Food Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Ze Wang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Radu Balan
- Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Thomas Ernst
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
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7
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Faes LK, De Martino F, Huber L(R. Cerebral blood volume sensitive layer-fMRI in the human auditory cortex at 7T: Challenges and capabilities. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280855. [PMID: 36758009 PMCID: PMC9910709 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of ultra high field fMRI signal readout strategies and contrasts has led to the possibility of imaging the human brain in vivo and non-invasively at increasingly higher spatial resolutions of cortical layers and columns. One emergent layer-fMRI acquisition method with increasing popularity is the cerebral blood volume sensitive sequence named vascular space occupancy (VASO). This approach has been shown to be mostly sensitive to locally-specific changes of laminar microvasculature, without unwanted biases of trans-laminar draining veins. Until now, however, VASO has not been applied in the technically challenging cortical area of the auditory cortex. Here, we describe the main challenges we encountered when developing a VASO protocol for auditory neuroscientific applications and the solutions we have adopted. With the resulting protocol, we present preliminary results of laminar responses to sounds and as a proof of concept for future investigations, we map the topographic representation of frequency preference (tonotopy) in the auditory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lonike K. Faes
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Federico De Martino
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Laurentius (Renzo) Huber
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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8
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Williams SN, McElhinney P, Gunamony S. Ultra-high field MRI: parallel-transmit arrays and RF pulse design. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68. [PMID: 36410046 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aca4b7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews the field of multiple or parallel radiofrequency (RF) transmission for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Currently the use of ultra-high field (UHF) MRI at 7 tesla and above is gaining popularity, yet faces challenges with non-uniformity of the RF field and higher RF power deposition. Since its introduction in the early 2000s, parallel transmission (pTx) has been recognized as a powerful tool for accelerating spatially selective RF pulses and combating the challenges associated with RF inhomogeneity at UHF. We provide a survey of the types of dedicated RF coils used commonly for pTx and the important modeling of the coil behavior by electromagnetic (EM) field simulations. We also discuss the additional safety considerations involved with pTx such as the specific absorption rate (SAR) and how to manage them. We then describe the application of pTx with RF pulse design, including a practical guide to popular methods. Finally, we conclude with a description of the current and future prospects for pTx, particularly its potential for routine clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney N Williams
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul McElhinney
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Shajan Gunamony
- Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.,MR CoilTech Limited, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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9
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Ding B, Dragonu I, Rua C, Carlin JD, Halai AD, Liebig P, Heidemann R, Correia MM, Rodgers CT. Parallel transmit (pTx) with online pulse design for task-based fMRI at 7 T. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 93:163-174. [PMID: 35863691 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Parallel transmission (pTx) is an approach to improve image uniformity for ultra-high field imaging. In this study, we modified an echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence to design subject-specific pTx pulses online. We compared its performance against EPI with conventional circularly polarised (CP) pulses. METHODS We compared the pTx-EPI and CP-EPI sequences in a short EPI acquisition protocol and for two different functional paradigms in six healthy volunteers (2 female, aged 23-36 years, mean age 29.2 years). We chose two paradigms that are typically affected by signal dropout at 7 T: a visual objects localiser to determine face/scene selective brain regions and a semantic-processing task. RESULTS Across all subjects, pTx-EPI improved whole-brain mean temporal signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) by 11.0% compared to CP-EPI. We also compared the ability of pTx-EPI and CP-EPI to detect functional activation for three contrasts over the two paradigms: face > object and scene > object for the visual objects localiser and semantic association > pattern matching for the semantic-processing paradigm. Across all three contrasts, pTx-EPI showed higher median z-scores and detected more active voxels in relevant areas, as determined from previous 3 T studies. CONCLUSION We have demonstrated a workflow for EPI acquisitions with online per-subject pulse calculations. We saw improved performance in both tSNR and functional acquisitions from pTx-EPI. Thus, we believe that online calculation pTx-EPI is robust enough for future fMRI studies, especially where activation is expected in brain areas liable to significant signal dropout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Ding
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Catarina Rua
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, UK; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, UK; Invicro, Invicro London, UK
| | | | - Ajay D Halai
- MRC Cognition and Brain Science Unit, Cambridge, UK
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10
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Löwen D, Pracht ED, Stirnberg R, Liebig P, Stöcker T. Interleaved binomial kT-Points for water-selective imaging at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:2564-2572. [PMID: 35942989 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29376] [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: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We present a time-efficient water-selective, parallel transmit RF excitation pulse design for ultra-high field applications. METHODS The proposed pulse design method achieves flip angle homogenization at ultra-high fields by employing spatially nonselective k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points pulses. In order to introduce water-selection, the concept of binomial pulses is applied. Due to the composite nature of k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points, the pulse can be split into multiple binomial subpulse blocks shorter than half the precession period of fat, that are played out successively. Additional fat precession turns, that would otherwise impair the spectral response, can thus be avoided. Bloch simulations of the proposed interleaved binomial k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points pulses were carried out and compared in terms of duration, homogeneity, fat suppression and pulse energy. For validation, in vivo MP-RAGE and 3D-EPI data were acquired. RESULTS Simulation results show that interleaved binomial k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points pulses achieve shorter total pulse durations, improved flip angle homogeneity and more robust fat suppression compared to available methods. Interleaved binomial k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points can be customized by changing the number of k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points, the subpulse duration and the order of the binomial pulse. Using shorter subpulses, the number of k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points can be increased and hence better homogeneity is achieved, while still maintaining short total pulse durations. Flip angle homogenization and fat suppression of interleaved binomial k T $$ {\mathrm{k}}_T $$ -points pulses is demonstrated in vivo at 7T, confirming Bloch simulation results. CONCLUSION In this work, we present a time efficient and robust parallel transmission technique for nonselective water excitation with simultaneous flip angle homogenization at ultra-high field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Löwen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Tony Stöcker
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Wang D, Ehses P, Stöcker T, Stirnberg R. Reproducibility of rapid multi-parameter mapping at 3T and 7T with highly segmented and accelerated 3D-EPI. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:2217-2232. [PMID: 35877781 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29383] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Quantitative multi-parameter mapping (MPM) has been shown to provide good longitudinal and cross-sectional reproducibility for clinical research. Unfortunately, acquisition times (TAs) are typically infeasible for routine scanning at high resolutions. METHODS A fast whole-brain MPM protocol based on interleaved multi-shot 3D-EPI with controlled aliasing (SC-EPI) at 3T and 7T is proposed and compared with MPM using a standard spoiled gradient echo (FLASH) sequence. Four parameters (R1 , PD, R 2 * $$ {R}_2^{\ast } $$ , and MTsat) were measured in less than 3 min at 1 mm isotropic resolution. Five subjects went through the same scanning sessions twice at each scanner. The intra-subject coefficient of variation (scan-rescan) (CoV) was estimated for each protocol and scanner to assess the longitudinal reproducibility. RESULTS At 3T, the CoV of SC-EPI ranged between 1.2%-4.8% for PD and R1 , 2.8%-10.6% for R 2 * $$ {R}_2^{\ast } $$ and MTsat, which was comparable with FLASH (0.6%-4.9% for PD and R1 , 2.6%-11.3% for R 2 * $$ {R}_2^{\ast } $$ and MTsat). At 7T, where the SC-EPI TA was reduced to ∼2 min, the CoV of SC-EPI (1.4%-10.6% for PD, R1 , and R 2 * $$ {R}_2^{\ast } $$ ) was 1.2-2.4 times larger than the CoV of FLASH (1.0%-15%) and MTsat showed much higher variability across subjects. The SC-EPI-MPM protocol at 3T showed high reproducibility and yielded stable quantitative maps at a clinically feasible resolution and scan time, whereas at 7T, MT saturation homogeneity needs to be improved. CONCLUSION SC-EPI-based MPM is feasible as an additional MRI modality in clinical or population studies where the parameters offer great potential as biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Difei Wang
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Philipp Ehses
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Tony Stöcker
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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12
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The Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control dataset, a theoretically-guided within-subject task fMRI battery. Sci Data 2022; 9:114. [PMID: 35351911 PMCID: PMC8964804 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01226-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control is a critical higher mental function, which is subject to considerable individual variation, and is impaired in a range of mental health disorders. We describe here the initial release of Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control (DMCC) project data, the DMCC55B dataset, with 55 healthy unrelated young adult participants. Each participant performed four well-established cognitive control tasks (AX-CPT, Cued Task-Switching, Sternberg Working Memory, and Stroop) while undergoing functional MRI scanning. The dataset includes a range of state and trait self-report questionnaires, as well as behavioural tasks assessing individual differences in cognitive ability. The DMCC project is on-going and features additional components (e.g., related participants, manipulations of cognitive control mode, resting state fMRI, longitudinal testing) that will be publicly released following study completion. This DMCC55B subset is released early with the aim of encouraging wider use and greater benefit to the scientific community. The DMCC55B dataset is suitable for benchmarking and methods exploration, as well as analyses of task performance and individual differences.
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Bayih SG, Jankiewicz M, Alhamud A, van der Kouwe AJW, Meintjes EM. Self-navigated prospective motion correction for 3D-EPI acquisition. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:211-223. [PMID: 35344618 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29202] [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: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although 3D EPI is more susceptible to motion artifacts than 2D EPI, it presents some benefits for functional MRI, including the absence of spin-history artifacts, greater potential for parallel imaging acceleration, and better functional sensitivity in high-resolution imaging. Here we present a self-navigated 3D-EPI sequence suitable for prospective motion-corrected functional MRI without additional hardware or pulses. METHODS For each volume acquisition, the first 24 of the 52 partitions being acquired are accumulated to a new feedback block that was added to the image reconstruction pipeline. After zero-filling the remaining partitions, the feedback block constructs a volumetric self-navigator (vSNav), co-registers it to the reference vSNav acquired during the first volume acquisition, and sends motion estimates to the sequence. The sequence then updates its FOV and acquires subsequent partitions with the adjusted FOV, until the next update is received. The sequence was validated without and with intentional motion in phantom and in vivo on a 3T Skyra. RESULTS For phantom scans, the FOV was updated 0.704 s after acquisition of the vSNav partitions, and for in vivo scans after 0.768 s. Both phantom and in vivo data demonstrated stable motion estimates in the absence of motion. For in vivo acquisitions, prospective head-pose estimates using the vSNav's and retrospective estimates with FLIRT (FMRIB's Linear Image Registration Tool) agreed to within 0.23 mm (< 10% of the slice thickness) and 0.14° in all directions. CONCLUSION Depending when motion occurs during a volume acquisition, the proposed method fully corrects the FOV and recovers image quality within one volume acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Getaneh Bayih
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Neuroscience Institute, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marcin Jankiewicz
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Cape Universities Body Imaging Center, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - A Alhamud
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Cape Universities Body Imaging Center, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,The Modern Pioneer Center and ArSMRM for MRI Training and Development, Tripoli, Libya
| | - André J W van der Kouwe
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Neuroscience Institute, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Cape Universities Body Imaging Center, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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14
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Aigner CS, Dietrich S, Schmitter S. Respiration induced B 1 + changes and their impact on universal and tailored 3D kT-point parallel transmission pulses for 7T cardiac imaging. Magn Reson Med 2022; 87:2862-2871. [PMID: 35142400 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29183] [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: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Human heart imaging at ultra-high fields is highly challenging because of respiratory motion-induced artefacts and spatially heterogeneous B 1 + profiles. This work demonstrates that respiration resolved 3D B 1 + -maps can be used with a dedicated tailored and universal parallel transmission (pTx) pulse design to compensate respiration related B 1 + changes in subjects performing shallow and deep breathing (SB/DB). METHODS Three-dimensional (3D) B 1 + -maps of the thorax were acquired in 31 subjects under SB and in 15 subjects under SB and DB. Different universal and tailored non-selective pTx pulses were designed from non-respiration resolved (NRR) and respiration resolved (RR) reconstructions of the SB/DB B 1 + -maps. The performance of all pulses was tested with RR-SB/DB B 1 + -maps. Respiration-robust tailored and universal pulses were applied in vivo in 5 subjects at 7T in 3D gradient-echo free-breathing scans. RESULTS All optimized pTx pulses performed well for SB. For DB, however, only the universal and the tailored respiration-robust pulses achieved homogeneous flip angles (FAs) in all subjects and across all respiration states, whereas the tailored respiration-specific pulses resulted in a higher FA variation. The respiration-robust universal pulse resulted in an average coefficient of variation in the FA maps of 12.6% compared to 8.2% achieved by tailored respiration-robust pulses. In vivo measurements at 7T demonstrate the benefits of using respiration-robust pulses for DB. CONCLUSION Universal and tailored respiration-robust pTx pulses based on RR B 1 + -maps are highly preferred to achieve 3D heart FA homogenization at 7T when subjects perform DB, whereas universal and tailored pulses based on NRR B 1 + -maps are sufficient when subjects perform SB.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sebastian Schmitter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany.,Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Jamil R, Mauconduit F, Le Ster C, Ehses P, Poser BA, Vignaud A, Boulant N. Temporal SNR optimization through RF coil combination in fMRI: The more, the better? PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259592. [PMID: 34748584 PMCID: PMC8575292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
For functional MRI with a multi-channel receiver RF coil, images are often reconstructed channel by channel, resulting into multiple images per time frame. The final image to analyze usually is the result of the covariance Sum-of-Squares (covSoS) combination across these channels. Although this reconstruction is quasi-optimal in SNR, it is not necessarily the case in terms of temporal SNR (tSNR) of the time series, which is yet a more relevant metric for fMRI data quality. In this work, we investigated tSNR optimality through voxel-wise RF coil combination and its effects on BOLD sensitivity. An analytical solution for an optimal RF coil combination is described, which is somewhat tied to the extended Krueger-Glover model involving both thermal and physiological noise covariance matrices. Compared experimentally to covSOS on four volunteers at 7T, the method yielded great improvement of tSNR but, surprisingly, did not result into higher BOLD sensitivity. Solutions to improve the method such as for example the t-score for the mean recently proposed are also explored, but result into similar observations once the statistics are corrected properly. Overall, the work shows that data-driven RF coil combinations based on tSNR considerations alone should be avoided unless additional and unbiased assumptions can be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Redouane Jamil
- CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Paris-Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Franck Mauconduit
- CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Paris-Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Caroline Le Ster
- CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Paris-Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Philipp Ehses
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Benedikt A. Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alexandre Vignaud
- CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Paris-Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nicolas Boulant
- CEA, CNRS, BAOBAB, NeuroSpin, Paris-Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- * E-mail:
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16
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Reducing SAR in 7T brain fMRI by circumventing fat suppression while removing the lipid signal through a parallel acquisition approach. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15371. [PMID: 34321529 PMCID: PMC8319205 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94692-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultra-high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers a way to new insights while increasing the spatial and temporal resolution. However, a crucial concern in 7T human MRI is the increase in power deposition, supervised through the specific absorption rate (SAR). The SAR limitation can restrict the brain coverage or the minimal repetition time of fMRI experiments. In the majority of today’s studies fMRI relies on the well-known gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (GRE-EPI) sequence, which offers ultrafast acquisition. Commonly, the GRE-EPI sequence comprises two pulses: fat suppression and excitation. This work provides the means for a significant reduction in the SAR by circumventing the fat-suppression pulse. Without this fat-suppression, however, lipid signal can result in artifacts due to the chemical shift between the lipid and water signals. Our approach exploits a reconstruction similar to the simultaneous-multi-slice method to separate the lipid and water images, thus avoiding undesired lipid artifacts in brain images. The lipid-water separation is based on the known spatial shift of the lipid signal, which can be detected by the multi-channel coils sensitivity profiles. Our study shows robust human imaging, offering greater flexibility to reduce the SAR, shorten the repetition time or increase the volume coverage with substantial benefit for brain functional studies.
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17
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Zhu X, Gao Y, Liu F, Crozier S, Sun H. Deep grey matter quantitative susceptibility mapping from small spatial coverages using deep learning. Z Med Phys 2021; 32:188-198. [PMID: 34312047 PMCID: PMC9948866 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) is generally acquired with full brain coverage, even though many QSM brain-iron studies focus on the deep grey matter (DGM) region only. Reducing the spatial coverage to the DGM vicinity can substantially shorten the scan time or enhance the spatial resolution without increasing scan time; however, this may lead to significant DGM susceptibility underestimation. METHOD A recently proposed deep learning-based QSM method, namely xQSM, is investigated to assess the accuracy of dipole inversion on reduced brain coverages. The xQSM method is compared with two conventional dipole inversion methods using simulated and in vivo experiments from 4 healthy subjects at 3T. Pre-processed magnetic field maps are extended symmetrically from the centre of globus pallidus in the coronal plane to simulate QSM acquisitions of difference spatial coverages, ranging from 100% (∼32mm) to 400% (∼128mm) of the actual DGM physical size. RESULTS The proposed xQSM network led to the lowest DGM contrast loss in both simulated and in vivo subjects, with the smallest susceptibility variation range across all spatial coverages. For the digital brain phantom simulation, xQSM improved the DGM susceptibility underestimation more than 20% in small spatial coverages, as compared to conventional methods. For the in vivo acquisition, less than 5% DGM susceptibility error was achieved in 48mm axial slabs using the xQSM network, while a minimum of 112mm coverage was required for conventional methods. It is also shown that the background field removal process performed worse in reduced brain coverages, which further deteriorated the subsequent dipole inversion. CONCLUSION The recently proposed deep learning-based xQSM method significantly improves the accuracy of DGM QSM from small spatial coverages as compared with conventional QSM algorithms, which can shorten DGM QSM acquisition time substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hongfu Sun
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
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18
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Oliveira ÍAF, Roos T, Dumoulin SO, Siero JCW, van der Zwaag W. Can 7T MPRAGE match MP2RAGE for gray-white matter contrast? Neuroimage 2021; 240:118384. [PMID: 34265419 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultra-High Field (UHF) MRI provides a significant increase in Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and gains in contrast weighting in several functional and structural acquisitions. Unfortunately, an increase in field strength also induces non-uniformities in the transmit field (B1+) that can compromise image contrast non-uniformly. The MPRAGE is one of the most common T1 weighted (T1w) image acquisitions for structural imaging. It provides excellent contrast between gray and white matter and is widely used for brain segmentation. At 7T, the signal non-uniformities tend to complicate this and therefore, the self-bias-field corrected MP2RAGE is often used there. In both MPRAGE and MP2RAGE, more homogeneous image contrast can be achieved with adiabatic pulses, like the TR-FOCI inversion pulse, or special pulse design on parallel transmission systems, like Universal Pulses (UP). In the present study, we investigate different strategies to improve the bias-field for MPRAGE at 7T, comparing the contrast and GM/WM segmentability against MP2RAGE. The higher temporal efficiency of MPRAGE combined with the potential of the user-friendly UPs was the primary motivation for this MPRAGE-MP2RAGE comparison. We acquired MPRAGE data in six volunteers, adding a k-space shutter to reduce scan time, a kt-point UP approach for homogeneous signal excitation, and a TR-FOCI pulse for homogeneous inversion. Our results show remarkable signal contrast improvement throughout the brain, including regions of low B1+ such as the cerebellum. The improvements in the MPRAGE were largest following the introduction of the UPs. In addition to the CNR, both SNR and GM/WM segmentability were also assessed. Among the MPRAGEs, the combined strategy (UP + TR-FOCI) yielded highest SNR and showed highest spatial similarity between GM segments to the MP2RAGE. Interestingly, the distance between gray and white matter peaks in the intensity histograms did not increase, as better pulses and higher SNR especially benefitted the (cerebellar) gray matter. Overall, the gray-white matter contrast from MP2RAGE is higher, with higher CNR and higher intensity peak distances, even when scaled to scan time. Hence, the extra acquisition time for MP2RAGE is justified by the improved segmentability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ícaro A F Oliveira
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Thomas Roos
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Serge O Dumoulin
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Experimental and Applied Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen C W Siero
- Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Radiology, Utrecht Center for Image Sciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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19
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Bollmann S, Barth M. New acquisition techniques and their prospects for the achievable resolution of fMRI. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 207:101936. [PMID: 33130229 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
This work reviews recent advances in technologies for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the human brain and highlights the push for higher functional specificity based on increased spatial resolution and specific MR contrasts to reveal previously undetectable functional properties of small-scale cortical structures. We discuss how the combination of MR hardware, advanced acquisition techniques and various MR contrast mechanisms have enabled recent progress in functional neuroimaging. However, these advanced fMRI practices have only been applied to a handful of neuroscience questions to date, with the majority of the neuroscience community still using conventional imaging techniques. We thus discuss upcoming challenges and possibilities for fMRI technology development in human neuroscience. We hope that readers interested in functional brain imaging acquire an understanding of current and novel developments and potential future applications, even if they don't have a background in MR physics or engineering. We summarize the capabilities of standard fMRI acquisition schemes with pointers to relevant literature and comprehensive reviews and introduce more recent developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Bollmann
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Markus Barth
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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20
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Stirnberg R, Stöcker T. Segmented K-space blipped-controlled aliasing in parallel imaging for high spatiotemporal resolution EPI. Magn Reson Med 2020; 85:1540-1551. [PMID: 32936488 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE A segmented k-space blipped-controlled aliasing in parallel imaging (skipped-CAIPI) sampling strategy for EPI is proposed, which allows for a flexible choice of EPI factor and phase encode bandwidth independent of the controlled aliasing in parallel imaging (CAIPI) sampling pattern. THEORY AND METHODS With previously proposed approaches, exactly two EPI trajectories were possible given a specific CAIPI pattern, either with slice gradient blips (blipped-CAIPI) or following a shot-selective CAIPI approach (higher resolution). Recently, interleaved multi-shot segmentation along shot-selective CAIPI trajectories has been applied for high-resolution anatomical imaging. For more flexibility and a broader range of applications, we propose segmentation along any blipped-CAIPI trajectory. Thus, all EPI factors and phase encode bandwidths available with traditional segmented EPI can be combined with controlled aliasing. RESULTS Temporal SNR maps of moderate-to-high-resolution time series acquisitions at varying undersampling factors demonstrate beneficial sampling alternatives to blipped-CAIPI or shot-selective CAIPI. Rapid high-resolution scans furthermore demonstrate SNR-efficient and motion-robust structural imaging with almost arbitrary EPI factor and minimal noise penalty. CONCLUSION Skipped-CAIPI sampling increases protocol flexibility for high spatiotemporal resolution EPI. In terms of SNR and efficiency, high-resolution functional or structural scans benefit vastly from a free choice of the CAIPI pattern. Even at moderate resolutions, the independence of sampling pattern, TE, and image matrix size is valuable for optimized functional protocol design. Although demonstrated with 3D-EPI, skipped-CAIPI is also applicable with simultaneous multislice EPI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tony Stöcker
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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21
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Berman AJL, Grissom WA, Witzel T, Nasr S, Park DJ, Setsompop K, Polimeni JR. Ultra-high spatial resolution BOLD fMRI in humans using combined segmented-accelerated VFA-FLEET with a recursive RF pulse design. Magn Reson Med 2020; 85:120-139. [PMID: 32705723 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To alleviate the spatial encoding limitations of single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI) by developing multi-shot segmented EPI for ultra-high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI) with reduced ghosting artifacts from subject motion and respiration. THEORY AND METHODS Segmented EPI can reduce readout duration and reduce acceleration factors, however, the time elapsed between segment acquisitions (on the order of seconds) can result in intermittent ghosting, limiting its use for fMRI. Here, "FLEET" segment ordering, where segments are looped over before slices, was combined with a variable flip angle progression (VFA-FLEET) to improve inter-segment fidelity and maximize signal for fMRI. Scaling a sinc pulse's flip angle for each segment (VFA-FLEET-Sinc) produced inconsistent slice profiles and ghosting, therefore, a recursive Shinnar-Le Roux (SLR) radiofrequency (RF) pulse design was developed (VFA-FLEET-SLR) to generate unique pulses for every segment that together produce consistent slice profiles and signals. RESULTS The temporal stability of VFA-FLEET-SLR was compared against conventional-segmented EPI and VFA-FLEET-Sinc at 3T and 7T. VFA-FLEET-SLR showed reductions in both intermittent and stable ghosting compared to conventional-segmented and VFA-FLEET-Sinc, resulting in improved image quality with a minor trade-off in temporal SNR. Combining VFA-FLEET-SLR with acceleration, we achieved a 0.6-mm isotropic acquisition at 7T, without zoomed imaging or partial Fourier, demonstrating reliable detection of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) responses to a visual stimulus. To counteract the increased repetition time from segmentation, simultaneous multi-slice VFA-FLEET-SLR was demonstrated using RF-encoded controlled aliasing. CONCLUSIONS VFA-FLEET with a recursive RF pulse design supports acquisitions with low levels of artifact and spatial blur, enabling fMRI at previously inaccessible spatial resolutions with a "full-brain" field of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery J L Berman
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William A Grissom
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Thomas Witzel
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shahin Nasr
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel J Park
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kawin Setsompop
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jonathan R Polimeni
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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22
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Moeller S, Ramanna S, Lenglet C, Pisharady PK, Auerbach EJ, Delabarre L, Wu X, Akcakaya M, Ugurbil K. Self-navigation for 3D multishot EPI with data-reference. Magn Reson Med 2020; 84:1747-1762. [PMID: 32115756 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE In this study, we sought to develop a self-navigation strategy for improving the reconstruction of diffusion weighted 3D multishot echo planar imaging (EPI). We propose a method for extracting the phase correction information from the acquisition itself, eliminating the need for a 2D navigator, further accelerating the acquisition. METHODS In-vivo acquisitions at 3T with 0.9 mm and 1.5 mm isotropic resolutions were used to evaluate the performance of the self-navigation strategy. Sensitivity to motion was tested using a large difference in pitch position of the head. Using a multishell diffusion weighted acquisition, tractography results were obtained at (0.9 mm)3 to validate the quality with conventional acquisition. RESULTS The use of 3D multislab EPI with self-navigation enables 3D diffusion-weighted spin echo EPI acquisitions that have the same efficiency as 2D single-shot acquisition. For matched acquisition time the image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) between 3D and 2D acquisition is shown to be comparable for whole-brain coverage with (1.5 mm)3 resolution and for (0.9 mm)3 resolution the 3D acquisition has higher SNR than what can be obtained with 2D acquisitions using current state-of-art multiband techniques. The self-navigation technique was shown to be stable under inter-volume motion. In tractography analysis, the higher resolution afforded by our technique enabled clear delineation of the tapetum and posterior corona radiata. CONCLUSION The proposed self-navigation approach utilized a self-consistent phase in 3D diffusion weighted acquisitions. Its efficiency and stability were demonstrated for a plurality of common acquisitions. The proposed self-navigation approach allows for faster acquisition of 3D multishot EPI desirable for large field of view and/or higher resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steen Moeller
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sudhir Ramanna
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Christophe Lenglet
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Pramod K Pisharady
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Edward J Auerbach
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Lance Delabarre
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mehmet Akcakaya
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kamil Ugurbil
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.,Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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