In vivo measurement of transverse relaxation time in the mouse brain at 17.6 T |
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Authors: | Firat Kara Fu Chen Itamar Ronen Huub J. M. de Groot Jörg Matysik A Alia |
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Affiliation: | 1. Solid State NMR, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratoria, , Leiden, The Netherlands;2. Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, , Leiden, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Purpose: To establish regional T1 and T2 values of the healthy mouse brain at ultra‐high magnetic field strength of 17.6 T and to follow regional brain T1 and T2 changes with age. Methods: In vivo T1 and T2 values in the C57BL/6J mouse brain were followed with age using multislice‐multiecho sequence and multiple spin echo saturation recovery with variable repetition time sequence, respectively, at 9.4 and 17.6 T. Gadolinium‐tetra‐azacyclo‐dodecane‐tetra‐acetic acid phantoms were used to validate in vivo T2 measurements. Student's t‐test was used to compare mean relaxation values. Results: A field‐dependent decrease in T2 is shown and validated with phantom measurements. T2 values at 17.6 T typically increased with age in multiple brain regions except in the hypothalamus and the caudate‐putamen, where a slight decrease was observed. Furthermore, T1 values in various brain regions of young and old mice are presented at 17.6 T. A large gain in signal‐to‐noise ratio was observed at 17.6 T. Conclusions: This study establishes for the first time the normative T1 and T2 values at 17.6 T over different mouse brain regions with age. The estimates of in vivo T1 and T2 will be useful to optimize pulse sequences for optimal image contrast at 17.6 T and will serve as baseline values against which disease‐related relaxation changes can be assessed in mice. Magn Reson Med, 70:985–993, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. |
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Keywords: | T2 relaxation time ultra‐high field 17.6 T mouse brain age‐related T2 and T1 changes |
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