Combined acquisition of diffusion and T2*-weighted measurements using simultaneous multi-contrast magnetic resonance imaging

Breutigam, N.-J., Günther, M., Hoinkiss, D. C., Eickel, K., Frost, R., Buck, M. A. and Porter, D. A. (2022) Combined acquisition of diffusion and T2*-weighted measurements using simultaneous multi-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine, 35(3), pp. 421-440. (doi: 10.1007/s10334-021-00976-3) (PMID:34855052) (PMCID:PMC9188537)

Abstract

Object: In this work, we present a technique called simultaneous multi-contrast imaging (SMC) to acquire multiple contrasts within a single measurement. Simultaneous multi-slice imaging (SMS) shortens scan time by allowing the repetition time (TR) to be reduced for a given number of slices. SMC imaging preserves TR, while combining different scan types into a single acquisition. This technique offers new opportunities in clinical protocols where examination time is a critical factor and multiple image contrasts must be acquired. Materials and methods: High-resolution, navigator-corrected, diffusion-weighted imaging was performed simultaneously with T2*-weighted acquisition at 3 T in a phantom and in five healthy subjects using an adapted readout-segmented EPI sequence (rs-EPI). Results: The results demonstrated that simultaneous acquisition of two contrasts (here diffusion-weighted imaging and T2*-weighting) with SMC imaging is feasible with robust separation of contrasts and minimal effect on image quality. Discussion: The simultaneous acquisition of multiple contrasts reduces the overall examination time and there is an inherent registration between contrasts. By using the results of this study to control saturation effects in SMC, the method enables rapid acquisition of distortion-matched and well-registered diffusion-weighted and T2*-weighted imaging, which could support rapid diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This work was supported by the German Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG) Internal Programs under Grant No. Attract 142–600172. The FhG is recognized as a non-profit organization.
• Keywords: Stroke, echo-planar imaging, diffusion.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Porter, Professor David
• Authors: Breutigam, N.-J., Günther, M., Hoinkiss, D. C., Eickel, K., Frost, R., Buck, M. A., and Porter, D. A.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
• Journal Name: Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 0968-5243
• ISSN (Online): 1352-8661
• Published Online: 02 December 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine 35(3): 421-440
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License