Robust field map generation using a triple-echo acquisition

PURPOSE: To establish a fast and robust technique for generating magnetic field maps for the correction of geometric distortions in echo-planar magnetic resonance (MR) images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multislice gradient-echo (GE) images were acquired at echo times of 6, 6.5, and 7.5 msec in order to cover a field shift range of +/-666 Hz in the resulting B0 maps. To account for possible phase wrap scenarios, seven phase triples were calculated for each pixel. Linear regression of the phase vs. echo time was performed for each set. The slope of the set with the minimum fitting error was taken as the true magnetic field in the respective pixel. RESULTS: Based on the fitting error distribution, the technique is shown to be feasible and effective for assessing the field distribution in the brain at 3 T, especially in inferior brain areas (amygdalae, hippocampus). Examples of echo-planar images distortion corrected using the calculated field maps are shown. CONCLUSION: The approach presented yields robust estimation of magnetic field maps and requires under a minute of additional acquisition time and only seconds of computational time. As such, it is easily possible to apply image distortion correction in routine functional MR imaging (fMRI) studies, enabling improved coregistration of brain activation maps with structures on anatomical images.     

Real-time autoshimming for echo planar timecourse imaging.

Head motion within an applied magnetic field alters the effective shim within the brain, causing geometric distortions in echo planar imaging (EPI). Even if subtle, change in shim can lead to artifactual signal changes in timecourse EPI acquisitions, which are typically performed for functional MRI (fMRI) or diffusion tensor imaging. Magnetic field maps acquired before and after head motions of clinically realistic magnitude indicate that motion-induced changes in magnetic field may cause translations exceeding 3 mm in the phase-encoding direction of the EPI images. The field maps also demonstrate a trend toward linear variations in shim changes as a function of position within the head, suggesting that a real-time, first-order correction may compensate for motion-induced changes in magnetic field. This article presents a navigator pulse sequence and processing method, termed a "shim NAV," for real-time detection of linear shim changes, and a shim-compensated EPI pulse sequence for dynamic correction of linear shim changes. In vivo and phantom experiments demonstrate the detection accuracy of shim NAVs in the presence of applied gradient shims. Phantom experiments demonstrate reduction of geometric distortion and image artifact using shim-compensated EPI in the presence of applied gradient shims. In vivo experiments with intentional interimage subject motion demonstrate improved alignment of timecourse EPI images when using the shim NAV-detected values to update the shim-compensated EPI acquisition in real time.     

Minimization of Nyquist ghosting for echo‐planar imaging at ultra‐high fields based on a “negative readout gradient” strategy

Purpose:

To improve the traditional Nyquist ghost correction approach in echo planar imaging (EPI) at high fields, via schemes based on the reversal of the EPI readout gradient polarity for every other volume throughout a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquisition train.

Materials and Methods:

An EPI sequence in which the readout gradient was inverted every other volume was implemented on two ultrahigh‐field systems. Phantom images and fMRI data were acquired to evaluate ghost intensities and the presence of false‐positive blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) signal with and without ghost correction. Three different algorithms for ghost correction of alternating readout EPI were compared.

Results:

Irrespective of the chosen processing approach, ghosting was significantly reduced (up to 70% lower intensity) in both rat brain images acquired on a 9.4T animal scanner and human brain images acquired at 7T, resulting in a reduction of sources of false‐positive activation in fMRI data.

Conclusion:

It is concluded that at high B₀ fields, substantial gains in Nyquist ghost correction of echo planar time series are possible by alternating the readout gradient every other volume. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:1171–1178. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Oxygenation-sensitive contrast in magnetic resonance image of rodent brain at high magnetic fields

At high magnetic fields (7 and 8.4 T), water proton magnetic resonance images of brains of live mice and rats under pentobarbital anesthetization have been measured by a gradient echo pulse sequence with a spatial resolution of 65 x 65-microns pixel size and 700-microns slice thickness. The contrast in these images depicts anatomical details of the brain by numerous dark lines of various sizes. These lines are absent in the image taken by the usual spin echo sequence. They represent the blood vessels in the image slice and appear when the deoxyhemoglobin content in the red cells increases. This contrast is most pronounced in an anoxy brain but not present in a brain with diamagnetic oxy or carbon monoxide hemoglobin. The local field induced by the magnetic susceptibility change in the blood due to the paramagnetic deoxyhemoglobin causes the intra voxel dephasing of the water signals of the blood and the surrounding tissue. This oxygenation-dependent contrast is appreciable in high field images with high spatial resolution.     

Experimental performance evaluation of multi‐echo ICNE pulse sequence in magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography

Latest experimental results in magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) demonstrated high‐resolution in vivo conductivity imaging of animal and human subjects using imaging currents of 5 to 9 mA. Externally injected imaging currents induce magnetic flux density distributions, which are affected by a conductivity distribution. Since we extract the induced magnetic flux density images from MR phase images, it is essential to reduce noise in the phase images. In vivo human and disease model animal experiments require reduction of imaging current amplitudes and scan times. In this article, we investigate a multi‐echo based MREIT pulse sequence where we utilize a remaining time after the first echo within one TR to obtain more echo signals. It also allows us to prolong the total current injection time. From phantom and animal imaging experiments, we found that this method significantly reduces the noise level in measured magnetic flux density images. We describe experimental validation of the multi‐echo sequence by comparing its performance with a single‐echo method using 3 mA imaging currents. The proposed method will be advantageous for an imaging region with long T2 values such as the brain and knee. Depending on T2 values, we suggest using two or three echoes in future experimental studies. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Artifacts in functional magnetic resonance imaging from gaseous oxygen

Unexpectedly large fluctuations in signal intensity wen identified in the functional MRI (FMRI) of normal subjects breathing pure oxygen intermittently. To test the hypothesis that the signal changes were due to fluctuating concentrations of gaseous (paramagnetic) oxygen in the magnetic field, echo planar gradient echo images were acquired of a phantom contiguous to an oxygen mask through which pure oxygen was administered intermittently via plastic tubing. As a control, room air was administered intermittently or oxygen continuously in the same experimental protocol. Signal intensity changes of up to 60% temporally correlated with the administration of oxygen were produced in the phantom. In functional images prepared from the echo planar images, the signal intensity changes resulted in artifacts especially at interfaces in the phantom. The intermittent administration of pure oxygen during acquisition of data for FMRI may produce signal intensity changes that simulate or obscure function.     

Macroscopic susceptibility in ultra high field MRI

PURPOSE: Magnetic susceptibility provides the basis for functional studies and image artifacts in MRI. In this work, magnetic susceptibility and the associated artifacts were analyzed at 8 T in phantoms and in the human head. METHOD: A mineral oil phantom was constructed in which three cylindrical air-filled tubes were inserted. This phantom was analyzed with gradient-recalled echo and SE imaging techniques acquired using varying TEs and receiver bandwidths. To visualize the presence of magnetic susceptibility artifacts in the head at 8 T, near axial, coronal, and sagittal GE images were also acquired from human volunteers. RESULTS: The use of gradient-recalled echo imaging resulted in the production of significant magnetic susceptibility artifacts. These artifacts could be readily visualized in phantom samples containing air-filled cylindrical tubes. In the human head, susceptibility artifacts produced significant image distortion in the skull base region. In this area, susceptibility artifacts often resulted in the complete loss of MR signal. Magnetic susceptibility artifacts were manifested as bands of varying signal intensity in the frontal lobe and temporal bone region. In addition, they produced clear distortions in the appearance of brain vasculature and seemed to accentuate the relative size of venous structures within the brain. CONCLUSION: When using gradient-recalled echo imaging in combination with relatively long TE values, magnetic susceptibility artifacts can be severe at 8 T. These artifacts could be reduced by increasing receiver bandwidths and by lowering effective TEs. As ultra high field MRI provides a fertile ground for the study of susceptibility artifacts in MRI, improvements obtained at this field strength will have a direct impact on studies performed at lower field strengths.     

Detection of acute cerebral infarction by dual echo subtraction technique in MR imaging

The purpose of this study was to develop an image enhancement technique to detect acute cerebral infarct regions in brain MR images. Transverse relaxation times for abnormal changes tend to be longer than those for normal tissues. In order to obtain MR images with two different echo times, we employed the fast spin echo sequence. We then employed the image subtraction technique using two T(2)-weighted images to enhance acute cerebral infarct regions. As a result, the areas of acute cerebral infarct regions were enhanced as regions of higher signal than normal regions of brain tissue. Further, high signal areas in dual echo subtraction images corresponded to cerebral infarct regions of high signal areas in diffusion weighted images (DWI). We found that the image subtraction technique is useful to enhance very subtle regions of acute cerebral infarction in MR images. Because we employ the difference between transverse relaxation times for normal and abnormal tissues, which does not depend on the strength of the magnetic field, the dual echo subtraction method can be used in many hospitals.     

MRS of normal and impaired fetal brain development

Cerebral maturation in the human fetal brain was investigated by in utero localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Spectra were acquired on a clinical MR system operating at 1.5 T. Body phased array coils (four coils) were used in combination with spinal coils (two coils). The size of the nominal volume of interest (VOI) was 4.5 cm(3) (20 mm x 15 mm x 15 mm). The MRS acquisitions were performed using a spin echo sequence at short and long echo times (TE = 30 ms and 135 ms) with a VOI located within the cerebral hemisphere at the level of the centrum semiovale. A significant reduction in myo-inositol and choline and an increase in N-acetylaspartate were observed with progressive age. The normal MR spectroscopy data reported here will help to determine whether brain metabolism is altered, especially when subtle anatomic changes are observed on conventional images. Some examples of impaired fetal brain development studied by MRS are illustrated.     

A simple low‐SAR technique for chemical‐shift selection with high‐field spin‐echo imaging

We have discovered a simple and highly robust method for removal of chemical shift artifact in spin‐echo MR images, which simultaneously decreases the radiofrequency power deposition (specific absorption rate). The method is demonstrated in spin‐echo echo‐planar imaging brain images acquired at 7 T, with complete suppression of scalp fat signal. When excitation and refocusing pulses are sufficiently different in duration, and thus also different in the amplitude of their slice‐select gradients, a spatial mismatch is produced between the fat slices excited and refocused, with no overlap. Because no additional radiofrequency pulse is used to suppress fat, the specific absorption rate is significantly reduced compared with conventional approaches. This enables greater volume coverage per unit time, well suited for functional and diffusion studies using spin‐echo echo‐planar imaging. Moreover, the method can be generally applied to any sequence involving slice‐selective excitation and at least one slice‐selective refocusing pulse at high magnetic field strengths. The method is more efficient than gradient reversal methods and more robust against inhomogeneities of the static (polarizing) field (B₀). Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Cerebral oxygen extraction fraction and cerebral venous blood volume measurements using MRI: effects of magnetic field variation.

The presence of magnetic background field inhomogeneity (DeltaB) may confound quantitative measures of cerebral venous blood volume (vCBV) and cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (MR_OEF) with T2*-based methods. The goal of this study was to correct its effect and obtain more accurate estimates of vCBV and MR_OEF. A 3D high-resolution gradient echo sequence was employed to obtain DeltaB maps by two algorithms. The DeltaB maps were then used to recover the signal loss in images acquired by a 2D multiecho gradient echo / spin echo sequence. Finally, both quantitative estimates of MR_OEF and vCBV were obtained from the DeltaB- corrected 2D multiecho gradient echo / spin echo images. A total of 12 normal subjects were studied. An overestimated vCBV was observed in the brain (4.29 +/- 0.78%) prior to DeltaB correction, while the measured vCBV was substantially reduced after DeltaB correction. Whole brain vCBV of 2.97 +/- 0.44% and 2.68 +/- 0.47% were obtained by the two different DeltaB correction methods, in excellent agreement with the reported results in the literature. Furthermore, when MR_OEF was compared with and without DeltaB correction, no significant differences (P = 0.467) were observed. The ability to simultaneously obtain vCBV and MR_OEF noninvasively may have profound clinical implications for the studies of cerebrovascular disease.     

The role of ferritin and hemosiderin in the MR appearance of cerebral hemorrhage: a histopathologic biochemical study in rats.

A rat model of cerebral hemorrhage using stereotaxic injection of blood into the right basal ganglia was developed to investigate the influence of iron metabolism on the appearance of cerebral hemorrhage on MR images. Images of in vitro fixed brain sections stained specifically for different iron-storage substances, ferritin and hemosiderin, created by digitization of the pathology sections using an Eikonix CCD camera, were compared with the in vivo MR images of late-phase hematomas. Areas of the pathologic and MR features of the lesions were quantitatively correlated. The single-slice MR images were obtained with the use of T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo pulse sequences, as well as T2-weighted spin-echo pulse sequences in which the 180 degrees refocusing pulse was offset from the center of the echo time; this was termed an asymmetric spin-echo pulse sequence. The symmetric and asymmetric T2-weighted images allowed the calculation of line-width images, which emphasize line broadening from intravoxel magnetic field inhomogeneities that arise from the presence of iron-containing substances. From biochemical and histochemical staining, we conclude that at least two iron-storage substances are present in the late phase of resolving cerebral hematomas. Ferritin has a wider distribution than hemosiderin, showing a similar distribution to the MR signal changes of the calculated line-width images. Line-width mapping is a sensitive means of detecting magnetic field inhomogeneities caused by the magnetic susceptibility differences introduced by the aggregation of these iron-storage substances.     

Automated unwrapping of MR phase images applied to BOLD MR-venography at 3 Tesla

PURPOSE: To improve the diagnostic value of BOLD MR-Venography by removing artifacts related to phase wrapping, particularly in regions of large background susceptibilities at high magnetic field strengths. MATERIALS AND METHODS: High resolution, T(2)(*)-weighted, single echo images were acquired on a 3 T system (Medspec 30/80 Avance, Bruker Medical, Ettlingen, Germany) with a three-dimensional, first order velocity compensated gradient echo sequence using a quadrature transmit/receive birdcage head coil. Data of nine healthy subjects and 19 patients were evaluated (age range: 27 to 76 years). To achieve improved MR-venograms, a fully automated region-growing phase unwrapping algorithm and subsequent high pass filtering were applied to phase images prior to the computation of minimum intensity projections. RESULTS: Considerably improved visualization of venous structures in regions of large background susceptibility-induced field inhomogeneities is demonstrated in healthy subjects and patients with brain tumors. CONCLUSION: BOLD MR venograms are improved compared to previous post-processing algorithms. It is now feasible to obtain high-resolution images also in inhomogeneous regions, which increases the clinical potential of BOLD MR-Venography.     

The role of ferritin and hemosiderin in the MR appearance of cerebral hemorrhage: a histopathologic biochemical study in rats

A rat model of cerebral hemorrhage using stereotaxic injection of blood into the right basal ganglia was developed to investigate the influence of iron metabolism on the appearance of cerebral hemorrhage on MR images. Images of in vitro fixed brain sections stained specifically for different iron-storage substances, ferritin and hemosiderin, created by digitization of the pathology sections using an Eikonix CCD camera, were compared with the in vivo MR images of late-phase hematomas. Areas of the pathologic and MR features of the lesions were quantitatively correlated. The single-slice MR images were obtained with the use of T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo pulse sequences, as well as T2-weighted spin-echo pulse sequences in which the 180 degrees refocusing pulse was offset from the center of the echo time; this was termed an asymmetric spin-echo pulse sequence. The symmetric and asymmetric T2-weighted images allowed the calculation of line-width images, which emphasize line broadening from intravoxel magnetic field inhomogeneities that arise from the presence of iron-containing substances. From biochemical and histochemical staining, we conclude that at least two iron-storage substances are present in the late phase of resolving cerebral hematomas. Ferritin has a wider distribution than hemosiderin, showing a similar distribution to the MR signal changes of the calculated line-width images. Line-width mapping is a sensitive means of detecting magnetic field inhomogeneities caused by the magnetic susceptibility differences introduced by the aggregation of these iron-storage substances.     

High-resolution MR venography at 3.0 Tesla

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the visualization of small venous vessels in the normal human brain at a field strength of 3 Tesla. METHODS: T2*-weighted, three-dimensional gradient-echo images were acquired by exploiting the magnetic susceptibility difference between oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in the vasculature and microvasculature. The spatial resolution was 0.5 x 0.5 x 1 mm3, and sequence parameters were varied to obtain good vessel delineation. Improved visibility of venous vessels was obtained by creating phase mask images from the magnetic resonance phase images and multiplying these by the magnitude images. Venograms were created by performing a minimum intensity projection over targeted volumes. RESULTS: Highly detailed visualization of venous structures deep in the brain and in the superficial cortical areas were obtained without administration of an exogenous contrast agent; compared with similar studies performed at 1.5 T, the echo time could be reduced from typically 40-50 ms to 17-28 ms. CONCLUSION: Imaging at high-field strength offers the possibility of improved resolution and the delineation of smaller vessels compared with lower field strengths.     

Magnetic susceptibility-weighted MR phase imaging of the human brain

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR gradient echo imaging is sensitive to the magnetic susceptibility of different tissue types. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic potential of MR phase imaging of the human brain. METHODS: High-spatial-resolution, T2*-weighted, single-echo images were acquired in five volunteers and one patient with a brain tumor on a 1.5T system by applying a 3D, first-order, velocity-compensated gradient echo sequence by using a quadrature transmit-receive head coil. Phase images were reconstructed from the raw data and unwrapped by using a region-growing phase-unwrapping algorithm. Low-spatial-frequency components originating from static background susceptibility effects were removed by high-pass filtering. RESULTS: Phase images showed excellent image contrast and revealed anatomic structures that were not visible on the corresponding magnitude images. CONCLUSION: Improved processing of susceptibility-weighted MR phase images offers a new means of contrast for neuroimaging applications.     

In vivo 1H2O T2+ measurement in the human occipital lobe at 4T and 7T by Carr-Purcell MRI: detection of microscopic susceptibility contrast.

A high-resolution spin-echo imaging method is presented (called CP-LASER) which exploits the spin refocusing capability of an adiabatic Carr-Purcell (CP) pulse sequence to measure apparent 1H2O transverse relaxation (T2+) and generate contrast based on microscopic tissue susceptibility. High-resolution CP-LASER images of the human occipital lobe were acquired at four different echo times from six subjects at 4T and eight subjects at 7T to investigate the effect of magnetic field strength (B(0)) and the CP interpulse time (tau(cp)) on T2+. Susceptibility contrast was identified and T2+ was quantified for long tau(cp) (>10 ms) and short tau(cp) (7 ms at 4T and 6 ms at 7T) in gray matter, white matter, and cerebral spinal fluid. The 1H2O relaxation rate constants (1/T2+) of gray and white matter each increased approximately linearly with field strength and T2+ was inversely related to tau(cp). The average T2+ value of gray matter was 19% and 9% smaller than that of white matter at 4T and 7T, respectively. These results are consistent with higher levels of compartmentalized ferritin and increased blood volume in gray matter compared to white matter in this region of the brain.     

NAA-weighted imaging of the human brain using a conventional readout gradient.

An imaging sequence incorporating two complementary forms of water suppression was used in conjunction with conventional readout and phase-encoding gradients to acquire images of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in human brain. The sequence consisted of CHESS water suppression pulses followed by dual echo sequence to select the imaging volume and frequency-selective refocusing pulses with asymmetric crushers to further reduce the water signal. Spectra and conventional spectroscopic images acquired with the sequence demonstrated robust suppression of water and other resonances down field from the 2.0-ppm NAA resonance with 98% of the brain signal resulting from the 3.0-ppm to 2.0-ppm region. The technique was found to provide NAA maps with a large (256 x 128) imaging matrix and to allow a flexible tradeoff between signal to noise ratio (SNR), matrix size, data acquisition window length, and imaging time. Since spectral information is not directly obtained, the length of the data acquisition window is not determined by the spectral resolution needed to resolve the components of the brain spectrum, allowing a significantly shorter readout period. The shorter acquisition window could potentially facilitate the acquisition of multi-echo or multi-slice brain NAA maps.     

Commutator filter: A novel technique for the identification of structures producing significant susceptibility inhomogeneities and its application to functional MRI

A robust postprocessing method to detect regions of magnetic field change is presented. High resolution gradient echo data is acquired to create a complex baseline image. From this image, two low resolution images are obtained by applying a low pass filter on the magnitude image and the complex image, respectively. Subtraction of the magnitude of the filtered complex image from the filtered magnitude image gives a new image called a commutator image in which regions of susceptibility-induced field variation are greatly enhanced. Results on phantoms and applications to visualize paramagnetic venous blood vessels in the human brain are presented. The use of this technique on a 3D gradient echo data set represents a new approach to obtain an MR venogram. The application of this method to blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional brain MR imaging is demonstrated and the important role susceptibility plays in this model is verified.     

Simultaneous magnetic resonance phase and magnitude temperature maps in muscle

Noninvasive magnetic resonance temperature maps that are used to monitor thermal ablation of tissue are described. In magnetic resonance images, thermally induced proton nuclear magnetic resonance frequency shifts, and changes in the longitudinal relaxation time produce both phase and magnitude changes in the MR signal. Temperature maps with improved sensitivity are derived from the complex-difference nuclear magnetic resonance signal. Bovine muscle specimens were heated with focused ultrasound to model thermal surgery and create a known thermal distribution to test the method. Resulting MR images acquired in 2 s produce temperature maps with 1 mm resolution and 2°C temperature sensitivity. The temperature sensitivity was increased by extending the acquisition to 5 s, by decreasing the receiver bandwidth, and increasing the echo time.