Biomedical subjects

Thies H Jochimsen

Publications and source records attributed to Thies H Jochimsen.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Identifying systematic errors in quantitative dynamic-susceptibility contrast perfusion imaging by high-resolution multi-echo parallel EPI.

Several obstacles usually confound a straightforward perfusion analysis using dynamic-susceptibility contrast-based magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI). In this work, it became possible to eliminate some of these sources of error by combining a multiple gradient-echo technique with parallel imaging (PI): first, the large dynamic range of tracer concentrations could be covered satisfactorily with multiple echo times (TE) which would otherwise result in overestimation of image magnitude in the presence of noise. Second, any bias from T(1) relaxation could be avoided by fitting to the signal magnitude of multiple TEs. Finally, with PI, a good tradeoff can be achieved between number of echoes, brain coverage, temporal resolution and spatial resolution. The latter reduces partial voluming, which could distort calculation of the arterial input function. Having ruled out these sources of error, a 4-fold overestimation of cerebral blood volume and flow remained, which was most likely due to the completely different relaxation mechanisms that are effective in arterial voxels compared with tissue. Hence, the uniform tissue-independent linear dependency of relaxation rate upon tracer concentration, which is usually assumed, must be questioned. Therefore, DSC-MRI requires knowledge of the exact dependency of transverse relaxation rate upon tracer concentration in order to calculate truly quantitative perfusion maps.

Brain↗

PubMed2006

Efficient simulation of magnetic resonance imaging with Bloch-Torrey equations using intra-voxel magnetization gradients.

The process of image formation in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be simulated by means of an iterative solution of Bloch-Torrey equations. This is a useful accessory to analyze the influence of sample properties, sequence parameters and hardware specifications on the MRI signal. In this paper, a computer algorithm is presented which is based on calculating partial derivatives of the magnetization vector. This technique allows more efficient simulation than summation of isochromats (the latter being commonly employed for this purpose) and, as a result, the effect of diffusion on the MRI signal can be calculated iteratively. A detailed description of the algorithm is given, and its feasibility for different applications is studied. It is shown that the algorithm is most applicable to simulating the effect of field perturbations, i.e. intra-voxel dephasing, but is also useful for other typical imaging experiments and the simulation of diffusion weighting.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2005

Quantifying venous flow dynamics by flow-dephased and flow-rephased functional magnetic resonance imaging.

By combining flow-dephased and flow-rephased diffusion weighting with blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging, it is possible to study flow dynamics in the venous network of the human brain. Thereby, ballistic flow, which conserves direction and velocity during echo time, is separated from diffusive flow with many changes in direction and velocity. By using this technique with very low diffusion/flow weighting, the mean velocity of ballistic flow was quantified in this study. The result of 10.9+/-3.2 cm/s strongly indicates that large venous vessels are the source of ballistic flow.

Blood Flow Velocity↗

PubMed2005

Is there a change in water proton density associated with functional magnetic resonance imaging?

In a recent series of studies (see, for example, Stroman et al. Magn Reson Imag 2001; 19:827-831), an increase of water proton density has been suggested to correlate with neuronal activity. Owing to the significant implications of such a mechanism for other functional experiments, the functional signal changes in humans at very short echo times were re-examined by spin-echo EPI at 3 T. The results do not confirm the previous hypothesis of a significant increase in extravascular proton density at TE = 0. Instead, an alternative explanation of the effect is offered: The use of a low threshold to identify activated voxels may generate an artificial offset in functional contrast due to the inclusion of false-positives in the analysis.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Functional magnetic resonance imaging with intermolecular double-quantum coherences at 3 T.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) based on the selection of intermolecular double-quantum coherences (iDQC) was performed with a standard birdcage coil at 3 T in a group of normal human volunteers. Suppression of spurious signal contributions from unwanted coherence-transfer pathways was achieved by combining a two-step phase cycle and a long repetition time of 5 s. A gradient-recalled echo iDQC sequence (echo time, T(E) = 80 ms) yielded robust activation with a visual paradigm. Maximum z-scores were about half of those observed with conventional blood-oxygen level dependent fMRI, whereas the functional signal change increased by more than a factor of 5. No activation was obtained with a spin-echo iDQC sequence (T(E) = 160 ms), in which dephasing accumulated during the evolution period was fully rephased by an appropriate delay time. It is hypothesized that substantial inherent diffusion weighting of the iDQC technique efficiently suppresses intravascular contributions to the functional contrast. A consistent quantitative explanation of the observed amount of signal change currently remains speculative.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Efficiency of flow-driven adiabatic spin inversion under realistic experimental conditions: a computer simulation.

Continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) using adiabatic inversion is a widely used approach for perfusion imaging. For the quantification of perfusion, a reliable determination of the labeling efficiency is required. A numerical method for predicting the labeling efficiency in CASL experiments under various experimental conditions, including spin relaxation, is demonstrated. The approach is especially useful in the case of labeling at the carotid artery with a surface coil, as consideration of the experimental or theoretical profile of the B(1) field is straightforward. Other effects that are also accounted for include deviations from a constant labeling gradient, and variations in the blood flow velocity due to the cardiac cycle. Assuming relevant experimental and physiological conditions, maximum inversion efficiencies of about 85% can be obtained.

Blood Flow Velocity↗

PubMed2004

Quantifying the intra- and extravascular contributions to spin-echo fMRI at 3 T.

Functional MRI (fMRI) by means of spin-echo (SE) techniques provides an interesting alternative to gradient-echo methods because the contrast is based primarily on dynamic averaging associated with the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) effect. In this article the contributions from different brain compartments to BOLD signal changes in SE echo planar imaging (EPI) are investigated. To gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that cause the fMRI contrast, two experiments are presented: First, the intravascular contribution is decomposed into two fractions with different regimes of flow by means of diffusion-weighting gradient schemes which are either flow-compensated, or will maximally dephase moving spins. Second, contributions from the intra- and extravascular space are selectively suppressed by combining flow-weighting with additional refocusing pulses. The results indicate two qualitatively different components of flowing blood which contribute to the BOLD contrast and a nearly equal share in functional signal from the intra- and extravascular compartments at TE approximately 80 ms and 3 T. Combining these results, there is evidence that at least one-half of the functional signal originates from the parenchyma in SE fMRI at 3 T. The authors suggest the use of flow-compensated diffusion weighting for SE fMRI to improve the sensitivity to the parenchyma.

Blood Flow Velocity↗

PubMed2004

ODIN-object-oriented development interface for NMR.

A cross-platform development environment for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments is presented. It allows rapid prototyping of new pulse sequences and provides a common programming interface for different system types. With this object-oriented interface implemented in C++, the programmer is capable of writing applications to control an experiment that can be executed on different measurement devices, even from different manufacturers, without the need to modify the source code. Due to the clear design of the software, new pulse sequences can be created, tested, and executed within a short time. To post-process the acquired data, an interface to well-known numerical libraries is part of the framework. This allows a transparent integration of the data processing instructions into the measurement module. The software focuses mainly on NMR imaging, but can also be used with limitations for spectroscopic experiments. To demonstrate the capabilities of the framework, results of the same experiment, carried out on two NMR imaging systems from different manufacturers are shown and compared with the results of a simulation.

Brain Mapping↗

PubMed2002

Single-shot curved slice imaging.

The feasibility of imaging a curved slice with a single-shot technique so that the reconstructed image shows an un-warping of the slice is examined. This could be of practical importance when the anatomical structures of interest can be more efficiently covered with curved slices than with a series of flat planes. One possible example of such a structure is the cortex of the human brain. Functional imaging would especially benefit from this technique because several planar images can be replaced by a few curved slice images. A method is introduced that is based on multidimensional pulses to excite the desired curved slice profile. A GRASE imaging sequence is then applied that is tailored to the k-space representation of the curved slice. This makes it possible to capture the in-plane information of the slice with a single-shot technique. The method presented is limited to slices that are straight along one axis and can be approximated by a polygon. Reconstruction is performed using a simple numeric Fourier integration along the curved slice. This leads to an image that shows the desired un-warped representation of the slice. Experimental results obtained with this method from healthy volunteers are presented and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed technique.

Brain↗