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Simple recipe for accurate T 2 quantification with multi spin-echo acquisitions

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Abstract

Objective

The quantification of magnetic resonance relaxation parameters T 1 and T 2 have the potential for improved disease detection and classification over standard clinical weighted imaging. Performing a mono-exponential fit on multi spin-echo (MSE) data provides quantitative T 2 values in a clinically acceptable scan-time. However, due to technical imperfections of refocusing pulses, stimulated echo contributions to the signals lead to significant deviations in the resulting T 2 values. In this work, a simple auto-calibrating correction procedure is presented, allowing the accurate estimation of T 2 from MSE acquisitions.

Materials and methods

Correction factors for T 2 values obtained from MSE acquisitions with a mono-exponential fit are derived from simulations following the extended phase graph formulation. A closed formula is given for the calculation of the required correction factors directly from the measured data itself.

Results

Simulations and phantom experiments show high accuracy of corrected T 2 values for a wide range of clinically relevant T 2 values and for different nominal refocusing flip angles. In addition, corrected T 2 maps of the human brain are presented.

Conclusion

A simple recipe is provided to correct T 2 values obtained from MSE acquisitions via a mono-exponential fit for the influence of stimulated echoes. Since all required parameters are extracted from the data themselves, no additional acquisitions are required.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Siemens Healthcare, the German Research Foundation (DFG JA 827/9-1) and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology (BayStMWIVT) for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center Magnetic Resonance Bavaria (MRB), Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Daniel Neumann, Martin Blaimer, Peter M. Jakob & Felix A. Breuer

  2. Department of Experimental Physics 5, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Peter M. Jakob

Authors
  1. Daniel Neumann
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  2. Martin Blaimer
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  3. Peter M. Jakob
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  4. Felix A. Breuer
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Correspondence to Daniel Neumann.

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Neumann, D., Blaimer, M., Jakob, P.M. et al. Simple recipe for accurate T 2 quantification with multi spin-echo acquisitions. Magn Reson Mater Phy 27, 567–577 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-014-0438-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-014-0438-3

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