Simultaneous multislice acquisition with multi-contrast segmented EPI for separation of signal contributions in dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging

Eickel, K., Porter, D. A., Söhner, A., Maaß, M., Lüdemann, L. and Günther, M. (2018) Simultaneous multislice acquisition with multi-contrast segmented EPI for separation of signal contributions in dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging. PLoS ONE, 13(8), e0202673. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202673) (PMID:30153275) (PMCID:PMC6112664)

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Abstract

We present a method to efficiently separate signal in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into a base signal S0, representing the mainly T1-weighted component without T2*-relaxation, and its T2*-weighted counterpart by the rapid acquisition of multiple contrasts for advanced pharmacokinetic modelling. This is achieved by incorporating simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging into a multi-contrast, segmented echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence to allow extended spatial coverage, which covers larger body regions without time penalty. Simultaneous acquisition of four slices was combined with segmented EPI for fast imaging with three gradient echo times in a preclinical perfusion study. Six female domestic pigs, German-landrace or hybrid-form, were scanned for 11 minutes respectively during administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent. Influences of reconstruction methods and training data were investigated. The separation into T1- and T2*-dependent signal contributions was achieved by fitting a standard analytical model to the acquired multi-echo data. The application of SMS yielded sufficient temporal resolution for the detection of the arterial input function in major vessels, while anatomical coverage allowed perfusion analysis of muscle tissue. The separation of the MR signal into T1- and T2*-dependent components allowed the correction of susceptibility related changes. We demonstrate a novel sequence for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI that meets the requirements of temporal resolution (Δt < 1.5 s) and image quality. The incorporation of SMS into multi-contrast, segmented EPI can overcome existing limitations of dynamic contrast enhancement and dynamic susceptibility contrast methods, when applied separately. The new approach allows both techniques to be combined in a single acquisition with a large spatial coverage.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:Lutz Lüdemann received Grant No. LU 844/8-1 from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Klaus Eickel and Matthias Günther were/are employees of mediri GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany, as well as Fraunhofer MEVIS, Bremen, Germany.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Porter, Professor David
Creator Roles:
Porter, D. A.Methodology, Writing – review and editing
Authors: Eickel, K., Porter, D. A., Söhner, A., Maaß, M., Lüdemann, L., and Günther, M.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
Journal Name:PLoS ONE
Publisher:Public Library of Science
ISSN:1932-6203
ISSN (Online):1932-6203
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2018 Eickel et al.
First Published:First published in PLoS ONE 13(8): e0202673
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License
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