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Water proton T 1 measurements in brain tissue at 7, 3, and 1.5T using IR-EPI, IR-TSE, and MPRAGE: results and optimization

Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine volume 21, Article number: 121 (2008) Cite this article

Abstract

Method

This paper presents methods of measuring the longitudinal relaxation time using inversion recovery turbo spin echo (IR-TSE) and magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (MPRAGE) sequences, comparing and optimizing these sequences, reporting T 1 values for water protons measured from brain tissue at 1.5, 3, and 7T. T 1 was measured in cortical grey matter and white matter using the IR-TSE, MPRAGE, and inversion recovery echo planar imaging (IR-EPI) pulse sequences.

Results

In four subjects the T 1 of white and grey matter were found to be 646±32 and 1,197±134ms at 1.5T, 838±50 and 1,607±112ms at 3T, and 1,126±97, and 1,939±149ms at 7T with the MPRAGE sequence. The T 1 of the putamen was found to be 1,084±63ms at 1.5T, 1,332±68ms at 3T, and 1,644±167ms at 7T. The T 1 of the caudate head was found to be 1,109± 66ms at 1.5T, 1,395±49ms at 3T, and 1,684±76ms at 7T.

Discussion

There was a trend for the IR-TSE sequence to underestimate T 1 in vivo. The sequence parameters for the IR-TSE and MPRAGE sequences were also optimized in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the fitted T 1. The optimal sequence for IR-TSE in terms of SNR in the fitted T 1 was found to have five readouts at TIs of 120, 260, 563, 1,221, 2,647, 5,736ms and TR of 7 s. The optimal pulse sequence for MPRAGE with readout flip angle  = 8° was found to have five readouts at TIs of 160, 398, 988, 2,455, and 6,102ms and a TR of 9 s. Further optimization including the readout flip angle suggests that the flip angle should be increased, beyond levels that are acceptable in terms of power deposition and point-spread function.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    P. J. Wright, O. E. Mougin, A. M. Peters, M. J. Brookes, R. Coxon, P. E. Morris, S. T. Francis, R. W. Bowtell & P. A. Gowland

  2. The Brain and Body Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    J. J. Totman

  3. Philips Medical Systems, Reigate Surrey, UK

    M. Clemence

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  1. P. J. Wright
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  2. O. E. Mougin
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  4. A. M. Peters
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  5. M. J. Brookes
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  6. R. Coxon
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  9. S. T. Francis
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Correspondence to P. A. Gowland.

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Wright, P.J., Mougin, O.E., Totman, J.J. et al. Water proton T 1 measurements in brain tissue at 7, 3, and 1.5T using IR-EPI, IR-TSE, and MPRAGE: results and optimization. Magn Reson Mater Phy 21, 121 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-008-0104-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-008-0104-8

Keywords

  • High field
  • Relaxometry
  • Pulse sequences
  • Optimization