Fat suppression gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging of experimental articular cartilage lesions: comparison between phase-contrast method at 0.23T and chemical shift selective method at 1.5T

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a newly developed single-scan phase-contrast water-fat imaging technique for fat suppression at 0.23T open magnet, compared to the conventional chemical shift selective fat suppression method at 1.5T, in the detection of experimental articular cartilage lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty regions of 20 knee joint specimens of pigs with artificially created articular cartilage lesions were examined with 0.23T and 1.5T MR scanners. Sagittal fat-suppressed three-dimensional gradient-echo (3D GRE) images, obtained with the phase-contrast method at 0.23T, and fat-suppressed three-dimensional spoiled gradient recalled echo (3D SPGR) images, obtained with a chemical shift selective method at 1.5T, were evaluated. Diagnostic performance was analyzed. The conspicuity of the lesions, the amount of artifacts, and the uniformity of fat suppression were evaluated. The contrast-to-noise (CNR) values of cartilage-to-bone marrow, and cartilage-to-infrapatellar fat were calculated. RESULTS: At 0.23T, sensitivity and specificity were 80% and 95% for partial cartilage lesions (grade 2), and 91% and 100% for full-thickness lesions (grade 3). At 1.5T, sensitivity and specificity were 85% and 95% for grade 2 lesions, and 96% and 97% for grade 3 lesions. No significant difference was detected in the conspicuity of lesions. The uniformity of fat suppression was more constant with 3D SPGR images compared to 3D GRE images. More susceptibility artifacts, derived from the procedure of creating lesions, were detected at 1.5T. The cartilage-to-fat CNRs were significantly higher with high-field images. CONCLUSION: Phase-contrast method for fat suppression at 0.23T is a useful technique in detecting articular cartilage lesions.     

In vivo magnetic resonance elastography of human brain at 7 T and 1.5 T

Purpose:

To investigate the feasibility of quantitative in vivo ultrahigh field magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) of the human brain in a broad range of low‐frequency mechanical vibrations.

Materials and Methods:

Mechanical vibrations were coupled into the brain of a healthy volunteer using a coil‐driven actuator that either oscillated harmonically at single frequencies between 25 and 62.5 Hz or performed a superimposed motion consisting of multiple harmonics. Using a motion sensitive single‐shot spin‐echo echo planar imaging sequence shear wave displacements in the brain were measured at 1.5 and 7 T in whole‐body MR scanners. Spatially averaged complex shear moduli were calculated applying Helmholtz inversion.

Results:

Viscoelastic properties of brain tissue could be reliably determined in vivo at 1.5 and 7 T using both single‐frequency and multifrequency wave excitation. The deduced dispersion of the complex modulus was consistent within different experimental settings of this study for the measured frequency range and agreed well with literature data.

Conclusion:

MRE of the human brain is feasible at 7 T. Superposition of multiple harmonics yields consistent results as compared to standard single‐frequency based MRE. As such, MRE is a system‐independent modality for measuring the complex shear modulus of in vivo human brain in a wide dynamic range. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:577–583. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

In vivo metabolite profile of adult zebrafish brain obtained by high‐resolution localized magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Purpose

To optimize high‐resolution MR spectroscopy (MRS) for obtaining neurochemical composition of adult zebrafish brain in vivo.

Materials and Methods

A flow‐through setup for supporting MRS of living zebrafish has been designed. In vivo MR microscopy (MRM) images were obtained using a rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) sequence to select a volume of interest. In vivo MR spectra from zebrafish brain were obtained using an optimized point‐resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) sequence preceded by a variable pulse power and optimized relaxation delays (VAPOR) sequence for global water suppression interleaved with outer volume suppression (OVS). In vitro MR spectra in the brain extract were obtained by using correlated spectroscopy (COSY) sequences.

Results

Optimized high‐resolution localized MRS at 9.4T in conjunction with a strong gradient system, efficient shimming, and the water suppression scheme resulted in a reasonable separation of resonances from various metabolites in vivo from a voxel as small as 3.3 μL placed in the zebrafish brain. In addition, more than 14 metabolites were identified in adult zebrafish brain extracts.

Conclusion

We have successfully optimized a high‐resolution localized in vivo MRS technique to get access to the zebrafish brain, and obtained for the first time the neurochemical composition of the zebrafish brain. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;29:275–281. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

In vivo high‐resolution localized 1H MR spectroscopy in the awake rat brain at 7 T

In vivo localized high‐resolution ¹H MR spectroscopy was performed in multiple brain regions without the use of anesthetic or paralytic agents in awake head‐restrained rats that were previously trained in a simulated MRI environment using a 7T MR system. Spectra were obtained using a short echo time single‐voxel point‐resolved spectroscopy technique with voxel size ranging from 27 to 32.4 mm³ in the regions of anterior cingulate cortex, somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus. Quantifiable spectra, without the need for any additional postprocessing to correct for possible motion, were reliably detected including the metabolites of interest such as γ‐aminobutyric acid, glutamine, glutamate, myo‐inositol, N‐acetylaspartate, taurine, glycerophosphorylcholine/phosphorylcholine, creatine/phosphocreatine, and N‐acetylaspartate/N‐acetylaspartylglutamate. The spectral quality was comparable to spectra from anesthetized animals with sufficient spectral dispersion to separate metabolites such as glutamine and glutamate. Results from this study suggest that reliable information on major metabolites can be obtained without the confounding effects of anesthesia or paralytic agents in rodents. Magn Reson Med 69:937–943, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Real‐time motion correction for high‐resolution larynx imaging

Motion—both rigid‐body and nonrigid—is the main limitation to in vivo, high‐resolution larynx imaging. In this work, a new real‐time motion compensation algorithm is introduced. Navigator data are processed in real time to compute the displacement information, and projections are corrected using phase modulation in k‐space. Upon automatic feedback, the system immediately reacquires the data most heavily corrupted by nonrigid motion, i.e., the data whose corresponding projections could not be properly corrected. This algorithm overcomes the shortcomings of the so‐called diminishing variance algorithm by combining it with navigator‐based rigid‐body motion correction. Because rigid‐body motion correction is performed first, continual bulk motion no longer impedes nor prevents the convergence of the algorithm. Phantom experiments show that the algorithm properly corrects for translations and reacquires data corrupted by nonrigid motion. Larynx imaging was performed on healthy volunteers, and substantial reduction of motion artifacts caused by bulk shift, swallowing, and coughing was achieved. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A Modified EPI sequence for high‐resolution imaging at ultra‐short echo time

A robust modification of echo‐planar imaging dubbed double‐shot echo‐planar imaging with center‐out trajectories and intrinsic navigation (DEPICTING) is proposed, which permits imaging at ultra‐short echo time. The k‐space data is sampled by two center‐out trajectories with a minimal delay achieving a temporal efficiency similar to conventional single‐shot echo‐planar imaging. Intersegment phase and intensity imperfections are corrected by exploiting the intrinsic navigator information from both central lines, which are subsequently averaged for image reconstruction. Phase errors induced by inhomogeneities of the main magnetic field are corrected in k‐space, recovering the superior point‐spread function achieved with center‐out trajectories. The minimal echo time (<2 msec) is nearly independent of the acquisition matrix permitting applications, which simultaneously require high spatial and temporal resolution. Examples of demonstrated applications include anatomical imaging, BOLD‐based functional brain mapping, and quantitative perfusion imaging. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Prospective head‐movement correction for high‐resolution MRI using an in‐bore optical tracking system

In MRI of the human brain, subject motion is a major cause of magnetic resonance image quality degradation. To compensate for the effects of head motion during data acquisition, an in‐bore optical motion tracking system is proposed. The system comprises two MR‐compatible infrared cameras that are fixed on a holder right above and in front of the head coil. The resulting close proximity of the cameras to the object allows precise tracking of its movement. During image acquisition, the MRI scanner uses this tracking information to prospectively compensate for head motion by adjusting the gradient field direction and radio frequency (RF) phases and frequencies. Experiments performed on subjects demonstrate robust system performance with translation and rotation accuracies of 0.1 mm and 0.15°, respectively. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

High‐resolution uniform MR imaging of finger joints using a dedicated RF coil at 3T

Purpose

To develop a dedicated radiofrequency (RF) coil for high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of finger joints at 3T to improve diagnostic evaluation of arthritic diseases.

Materials and Methods

A dedicated cylindrical RF receive coil was developed for imaging finger joints at 3T. A planar coil, a saddle coil, and a 1.5T coil with similar design as the dedicated coil were also constructed to compare imaging performance with the dedicated coil. A phantom was used for quantitative evaluation. Three‐dimensional images were obtained on four subjects and a cadaver finger specimen using isotropic resolution of 160 μm in 9:32 minutes. The images were reviewed by two musculoskeletal radiologists.

Results

The dedicated finger coil provided higher signal‐to‐noise and greater signal uniformity than the other coils. It supported high‐resolution imaging that demonstrated anatomical details of the entire finger joint, and in the subject study revealed abnormalities not detectable by traditional clinical resolution.

Conclusion

The dedicated finger coil optimizes the potential advantages of 3T scanners compared to lower field magnets. Use of this coil should facilitate early diagnosis, improve assessment of treatment response, and provide better understanding of basic mechanisms that underlie arthritis. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Image restoration and spatial resolution in 7‐tesla magnetic resonance imaging

A good spatial resolution is essential for high precision segmentations of small structures in magnetic resonance images. However, any increase in the spatial resolution results in a decrease of the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). In this article, this problem is addressed by a new image restoration technique that is used to partly compensate for the loss in SNR. Specifically, a two‐stage hybrid image restoration procedure is proposed where the first stage is a Wiener wavelet filter for an initial denoising. The artifacts that will inevitably be produced by this step are subsequently reduced using a recent variant of anisotropic diffusion. The method is applied to magnetic resonance imaging data acquired on a 7‐T magnetic resonance imaging scanner and compared with averaged multiple measurements of the same subject. It was found that the effect of image restoration procedure roughly corresponds to averaging across three repeated measurements. Magn Reson Med 64:15–22, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Structural and mechanical parameters of trabecular bone estimated from in vivo high‐resolution magnetic resonance images at 3 tesla field strength

Purpose:

To evaluate the performance of a new 3 Tesla (T) high‐resolution trabecular bone (TB) imaging technique at two resolution regimens in terms of serial reproducibility and sensitivity.

Materials and Methods:

The left distal tibial metaphysis of seven healthy volunteers was imaged at three time‐points using a FLASE (fast large‐angle spin‐echo) pulse sequence at 137 × 137 × 410 μm³ and (160 μm)³ voxel sizes. Image artifacts, motion degradation, and serial image volume misalignments were controlled to maximize reproducibility of image‐derived measures of scale, topology, orientation in terms of structural anisotropy, and finite‐element derived Young's and shear moduli. Coefficients of variation (CV) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for structural and mechanical parameters were evaluated as measures of reproducibility and reliability. The ability of structural and mechanical parameters to distinguish between subjects was tested by analysis of variance.

Results:

Reproducibility was generally higher in the anisotropic data (CVs 1–5% versus 1–9% for isotropic images). Anisotropic voxel size yielded greater measurement reliability (ICCs 0.75–0.99, mean = 0.92 versus 0.62–0.99, mean = 0.86) and better discrimination of the seven subjects (75% versus 50% of the possible comparisons were significantly different [P < 0.05]) except for measures of structural anisotropy and topology. Isotropic resolution improved detection of structural orientation and permitted visualization of small perforations in longitudinal trabecular plates not detected at anisotropic resolution.

Conclusion:

Improved image acquisition and processing techniques enhance reproducibility of structural and mechanical parameters derived from high‐resolution MRI of metaphyseal bone in the distal tibia. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1157–1168. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Optimizing signal‐to‐noise ratio of high‐resolution parallel single‐shot diffusion‐weighted echo‐planar imaging at ultrahigh field strengths

The potential signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) gain at ultrahigh field strengths offers the promise of higher image resolution in single‐shot diffusion‐weighted echo‐planar imaging the challenge being reduced T₂ and T₂* relaxation times and increased B₀ inhomogeneity which lead to geometric distortions and image blurring. These can be addressed using parallel imaging (PI) methods for which a greater range of feasible reduction factors has been predicted at ultrahigh field strengths—the tradeoff being an associated SNR loss. Using comprehensive simulations, the SNR of high‐resolution diffusion‐weighted echo‐planar imaging in combination with spin‐echo and stimulated‐echo acquisition is explored at 7 T and compared to 3 T. To this end, PI performance is simulated for coil arrays with a variable number of circular coil elements. Beyond that, simulations of the point spread function are performed to investigate the actual image resolution. When higher PI reduction factors are applied at 7 T to address increased image distortions, high‐resolution imaging benefits SNR‐wise only at relatively low PI reduction factors. On the contrary, it features generally higher image resolutions than at 3 T due to smaller point spread functions. The SNR simulations are confirmed by phantom experiments. Finally, high‐resolution in vivo images of a healthy volunteer are presented which demonstrate the feasibility of higher PI reduction factors at 7 T in practice. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

High‐resolution functional MRI at 3 T: 3D/2D echo‐planar imaging with optimized physiological noise correction

High‐resolution functional MRI (fMRI) offers unique possibilities for studying human functional neuroanatomy. Although high‐resolution fMRI has proven its potential at 7 T, most fMRI studies are still performed at rather low spatial resolution at 3 T. We optimized and compared single‐shot two‐dimensional echo‐planar imaging (EPI) and multishot three‐dimensional EPI high‐resolution fMRI protocols. We extended image‐based physiological noise correction from two‐dimensional EPI to multishot three‐dimensional EPI. The functional sensitivity of both acquisition schemes was assessed in a visual fMRI experiment. The physiological noise correction increased the sensitivity significantly, can be easily applied, and requires simple recordings of pulse and respiration only. The combination of three‐dimensional EPI with physiological noise correction provides exceptional sensitivity for 1.5 mm high‐resolution fMRI at 3 T, increasing the temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio by more than 25% compared to two‐dimensional EPI. Magn Reson Med, 2013. © 2012 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society of Medicine in Resonance.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage: ex vivo study on normal cartilage correlated with magnetic resonance microscopy

The aims of this study were (a) to compare the MR appearance of normal articular cartilage in ex vivo MR imaging (MRI) and MR microscopy (MRM) images of disarticulated human femoral heads, (b) to evaluate by MRM the topographic variations in articular cartilage of disarticulated human femoral heads, and subsequently, (c) to compare MRM images with histology. Ten disarticulated femoral heads were examined. Magnetic resonance images were obtained using spin-echo (SE) and gradient-echo (GE) sequences. Microimages were acquired on cartilage–bone cylindrical plugs excised from four regions (superior, inferior, anterior, posterior) of one femoral head, using a modified SE sequence. Both MRI and MRM images were obtained before and after a 90 ° rotation of the specimen, around the axis perpendicular to the examined cartilage surface. Finally, MRM images were correlated with histology. A trilaminar appearance of articular cartilage was observed with MRI and with a greater detail with MRM. A good correlation between MRI and MRM features was demonstrated. Both MRI and MRM showed a loss of the trilaminar cartilage appearance after specimen rotation, with greater evidence on MRM images. Cartilage excised from the four regions of the femoral head showed a different thickness, being thickest in the samples excised from the superior site. The MRM technique confirms the trilaminar MRI appearance of human articular cartilage, showing good correlation with histology. The loss of the trilaminar appearance of articular cartilage induced by specimen rotation suggests that this feature is partially related to the collagen-fiber orientation within the different layers. The MRM technique also shows topographic variations in thickness of human articular cartilage. Received 28 July 1997; Revision received 31 December 1997; Accepted 6 January 1998