Black-blood T2* mapping with delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation

Publication date: July 2017
Source:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Volume 40
Author(s): Shi Su, Yanan Ren, Caiyun Shi, Xiaoyong Zhang, Jim X. Ji, Yongqin Zhang, Xin Liu, Guoxi Xie
PurposeTo develop a black-blood T2* mapping method using a Delay Alternating with Nutation for Tailored Excitation (DANTE) preparation combined with a multi-echo gradient echo (GRE) readout (DANTE-GRE).Materials and methodsSimulations of the Bloch equation for DANTE-GRE were performed to optimize sequence parameters. After optimization, the sequence was applied to a phantom scan and to neck and lower extremity scans conducted on 12 volunteers at 3T using DANTE-GRE, Motion-Sensitized Driven Equilibrium (MSDE)-GRE, and multi-echo GRE. T2* values were measured using an offset model. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare the T2* values between the three sequences.ResultsSimulation results showed that blood suppression can be achieved with various DANTE parameter adjustments. T2* maps acquired by DANTE-GRE were consistent and comparable to those acquired with multi-echo GRE in phantom experiments. In the in vivo experiments, DANTE-GRE was more comparable to multi-echo GRE than MSDE-GRE regarding the measurement of muscle T2* values.ConclusionDue to its high signal intensity retention and effective blood signal suppression, DANTE-GRE allows for robust and accurate T2* quantification, superior to that of MSDE-GRE, while overcoming blood flow artifacts associated with traditional multi-echo GRE.



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