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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Immature brain: spin-echo pulse sequence parameters for high-contrast MR imaging.

Appropriate spin-echo (SE) pulse sequence parameters generate magnetic resonance (MR) images with very high gray matter/white matter contrast in neonates and young infants. In these young patients, long SE sequences with a repetition time of 3,000-3,500 msec and multiple echoes with the longest echo time of 120-160 msec are employed to yield high-contrast images. A high-contrast MR image of a 1-month-old infant is presented.

Brain↗

Superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced MR imaging: pulse sequence optimization for detection of liver cancer.

The effects of magnetic resonance (MR) pulse sequences and timing parameters on tumor-liver contrast were studied in an animal model of metastatic liver cancer. Six spin-echo (SE), three inversion-recovery (IR), and four gradient-echo (GRE) sequences were evaluated at 0.6 T before and after injection of super-paramagnetic iron oxide. GRE techniques, irrespective of echo time and flip angle, showed the greatest change in signal intensity (enhancement) of the liver after administration of iron oxide. Single-acquisition GRE sequences (16 seconds) matched the contrast-to-noise ratio (C/N) performance of the most effective 6.4-minute SE sequences. Multiexcitation GRE sequences showed tumor-liver C/Ns per unit time that were significantly (P less than .05) higher than those achieved with SE and IR sequences. GRE sequences, which recruit intravoxel dephasing as an additional source of transverse relaxation enhancement (T2*), show a higher C/N per unit time and in this respect seem superior to SE and IR sequences for MR imaging with superparamagnetic iron oxide.

Animals↗

Diffusion imaging of the human brain: a new pulse sequence application for a 1.5-T standard MR system.

We developed a new pulse sequence and investigated whether the anisotropic diffusion in the human brain can be detailed with a standard whole-body MR imager. Apparent diffusion coefficient maps were produced by the proposed sequence using a 1.5-T MR unit. The sequence employed simultaneous application of three orthogonal gradients to achieve an optimal signal attenuation for imaging the brain without any increase in echo time. The orientation of the effective diffusion-encoding gradient was off-axis. On the in vivo apparent diffusion coefficient maps of four healthy volunteers, white matter tracts (the internal capsule and the corpus callosum) and the cortical and deep white matter showed anisotropic diffusion. In the gray matter, such as basal ganglia and thalami, anisotropic diffusion was not observed. A typical whole-body imager can provide in vivo human brain diffusion images of clinical quality. This technique has promising implications for the evaluation of brain development and the diagnosis of degenerative diseases.

Adult↗

Femtosecond-pulse sequence compression by Gires-Tournois interferometers.

We demonstrate the compression of femtosecond-pulse sequences by phase-modulating resonators, such as Gires-Tournois interferometers. The experiments are based on the precompensation of the complex phase response of the resonator by a high-resolution liquid-crystal pulse shaper. This method can be utilized for lowering peak intensities at critical points in optical setups, as well as for encryption or decryption of ultra-short pulses.

Journal Article↗

Reconfigurable generation of high-repetition-rate optical pulse sequences based on time-domain phase-only filtering.

We propose and demonstrate a fiber-based phase-only filtering technique for programmable optical pulse shaping, in which the filtering operation is implemented in the time domain by means of an electro-optical (EO) phase modulator. The technique has been applied for generating customized ultrahigh-repetition-rate optical pulse sequences (>40 GHz) from single input pulses by driving the EO phase modulator with a periodic electronic waveform (RF tone). The generated output pulses are replicas of the input pulse and both the repetition rate and the envelope profile of the generated sequences can be controlled and tuned electronically using this approach.

Journal Article↗

Motion-insensitive volume-selective pulse sequences for direct and proton-detected 13C spectroscopy: detection of glycogen in the human liver in vivo.

Two compact pulse sequences are reported for the volume-selective detection of 13C nuclei. 13C signals are either directly acquired after enhancing the amplitude by polarization transfer from the coupled protons or, preferably, indirectly detected by heteronuclear editing of proton signals of 1H nuclei coupled to 13C. In the latter case, the full sensitivity of proton resonance is achieved, and signals from uncoupled protons or protons coupled to non-13C nuclei or 13C nuclei of undesired compounds are suppressed. Both sequences are single-scan procedures and are insensitive to the pulse phases and to motions of the investigated organs. The insensitivity to organ motions is due to the extremely compact character of these sequences avoiding coherence evolution periods as far as possible. This is achieved first by the introduction of double-resonance sandwich (DORSA) pulses accomplishing the polarization transfer slice selectively in a very short time. The second reason is that the initial evolution interval which is usually part of polarization transfer experiments is avoided by the aid of a doublet line-selective inversion pulse. Several test experiments in vivo are reported. In particular, it is demonstrated that glycogen can be detected in natural abundance in the human liver in vivo using a 2-T whole-body tomograph even without the use of heart or respiration triggers. The total acquisition time was 22 min, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 6 was achieved.

Carbon↗

Evaluation of a newly discovered water suppression pulse sequence for high-field in vivo 1H surface coil NMR spectroscopy.

The use of a water-suppressing spin-echo pulse sequence reported recently (V. Sklenar and A. Bax, J. Magn. Reson. 74, 469 (1987); M. von Kienlin, M. DeCorps, J. P. Albrand, M. F. Foray, and P. Blondet, J. Magn. Reson. 76, 169 (1987)) was evaluated for in vivo brain proton surface coil NMR spectroscopy. The studies were performed on cat brain using surface coils at 4.7 T. The sequence produced brain spectra with adequate water suppression, and a broader excitation profile than sequences which form spin echoes using 1331 pulses (P. J. Hore, J. Magn. Reson. 54, 539 (1983); H. P. Hetherington, M. J. Avison, and R. G. Shulman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82, 3115 (1985)). The phase artifacts were smaller than those produced in 1331 methods, but theoretical analysis showed they should not be completely absent. The effectiveness of lengthening the spin-echo delay in the new sequence for suppression of unwanted lipid resonances was demonstrated. The sequence was shown to be capable of detecting lactate formation and clearance in a global cerebral ischemia experiment.

Animals↗

Efficient pulse sequence for multisection dual-repetition time MR image acquisition.

A magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence was developed in which multisection spin-echo image data are simultaneously acquired for two repetition time (TR) intervals (TR1 and TR2) in one imaging sequence. In a conventional multisection image at a single TR, the number of sections is limited to TR/TS, where TS is the readout time. With this new sequence, the number of sections that can be imaged at both TRs in one acquisition is equal to (TR1 + TR2)/(TS1 + TS2), where TS1 and TS2 may be different for the two TRs. Imaging time is equal to that for a single image at a TR of TR1 + TR2. Clinical images were obtained with the new sequence from 15 patients and compared with images acquired at the same TR/TE by means of standard multisection single-TR methods. Relative image quality was assessed by three radiologists in 37 comparisons. In general, the dual-TR results at the long TR were judged equivalent to those from a single-TR image. Dual-TR results at the short TR had a modest reduction in contrast, but in none of 15 cases were any pathologic features missed.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging↗

Multiple-rotor-cycle QPASS pulse sequences: separation of quadrupolar spinning sidebands with an application to 139La NMR

The quadrupolar phase-adjusted spinning sidebands (QPASS) pulse sequence has been recently demonstrated as a useful method for obtaining quadrupolar parameters with magic-angle spinning NMR. The sequence separates spinning sidebands by order in a two-dimensional experiment. A sheared projection of the 2D spectrum effectively yields the infinite spinning rate second-order quadrupolar powder pattern, which can be analyzed to determine quadrupolar coupling constants and asymmetry parameters. The RF power and spinning speed requirements of the original QPASS sequence make it an experimentally demanding technique. A new version of the sequence is demonstrated here and is shown to alleviate many problems associated with the original sequence. New solutions to the determining equations, based on the use of multiple rotor cycles in the QPASS sequence, lead to longer delays between the nine pi pulses, provide less chance of pulse overlap, and allow for use of weaker RF field strengths that excite only the central quadrupolar transition. A three-rotor-cycle version of the new experiment is demonstrated on the 139La nucleus. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗

Multiecho segmented EPI with z-shimmed background gradient compensation (MESBAC) pulse sequence for fMRI.

A MultiEcho Segmented EPI with z-shimmed BAckground gradient Compensation (MESBAC) pulse sequence is proposed and validated for functional MRI (fMRI) study in regions suffering from severe susceptibility artifacts. This sequence provides an effective tradeoff between spatial and temporal resolution and reduces image distortion and signal dropout. The blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD)-weighted fMRI signal can be reliably obtained in the region of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). To overcome physiological motion artifacts during prolonged multisegment EPI acquisition, two sets of navigator echoes were acquired in both the readout and phase-encoding directions. Ghost artifacts generally produced by single-shot EPI acquisition were eliminated by separately placing the even and odd echoes in different k-space trajectories. Unlike most z-shim methods that focus on increasing temporal resolution for event-related functional brain mapping, the MESBAC sequence simultaneously addresses problems of image distortion and signal dropout while maintaining sufficient temporal resolution. The MESBAC sequence will be particularly useful for pharmacological and affective fMRI studies in brain regions such as the OFC, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, parahippocampus, etc.

Adult↗

The influence of pulse sequence on the relaxation effects of superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agents.

The effects of different pulse sequences and timing parameters on the increase in transverse relaxation rate produced by superparamagnetic iron oxide particles have been studied. Gradient-echo, single spin-echo, and multiple-echo images recorded at 2.0 T were used to evaluate the reduction in signal intensity per unit concentration of iron oxide for different echo times and in different media. For the same echo time, gradient-echo sequences were found to be more than twice as sensitive to the effects of the agent as single spin-echo imaging sequences, while multiple-echo sequences were much less affected than either. Using measurements of the relative effects on different sequences, the contributions of different relaxation mechanisms have been quantified.

Contrast Media↗

Binomial frequency response to non-binomial pulse sequences for efficient water suppression.

This article reports on the use of short-hard pulse and spin-lock pulse combinations giving a binomial-like frequency response for the measurement of NMR spectra in aqueous solutions of quite dilute samples. The pulse sequence proposed provides excellent water suppression and does not introduce any linear or higher order phase errors. Application to the measurement of 2D NOESY data of a 0.25 mM solution of a double-stranded DNA fragment is presented.

Base Sequence↗

Rapid MR imaging of blood flow with a phase-sensitive, limited-flip-angle, gradient recalled pulse sequence: preliminary experience.

To assess blood flow rapidly, a limited-flip-angle, gradient recalled pulse sequence was modified to acquire two views at the same phase-encoding step in successive repetitions. One view is obtained with first-moment flow compensation, while the second view is obtained with selectable flow encoding (non-zero first moment) along one direction. Blood flowing along the encoded direction acquires a phase difference between the two views, resulting in signal dependent on both direction and speed of flow. Stationary tissues undergo no phase change. Therefore, the phase shift between the two views produces an image that spatially renders flow direction and velocity. With a 24-msec repetition time, a 256 X 128 matrix, and two excitations, data acquisition is completed in 13 seconds per location (both a magnitude image and a flow image are produced at each location). Images generated with flow phantoms confirmed the accuracy of this method. Preliminary clinical evidence in 23 human subjects suggests that this method is useful in evaluating portal hypertension, distinguishing arterial from venous flow, distinguishing between slow flow and clot, and confirming the presence of clot. This method appears to be a fast, easy way to assess blood flow in large vessels.

Adolescent↗

A modified signal intensity equation of Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequence for MR imaging.

The signal intensity equation of Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequences for magnetic resonance imaging was modified to: S(n) = k.M0.exp (-n.Te/T2) [1-exp (-Tr/T1)] where S(n) is a signal intensity of "n-th" echo; k, constant; M0, initial longitudinal magnetization; n, echo number; Te, echo interval; and Tr, recovery time [Tr = TR-(N-1/2).Te; TR, repetition time; N, number of echoes]. To evaluate the accuracies of T1 and T2 values calculated from this modified equation, a phantom experiment using five tubes filled with 0.5 to 8 mM copper sulfate solutions was performed using a 0.14-T resistive whole-body MR scanner and a spectrometer system. The differences between the image values by this equation and the bulk values by the spectrometer were less than 6.2% (mean +/- S.D., 3.3 +/- 2.1%) in T2 and 15.6% (10.4 +/- 4.9%) in T1 (except 8 mM). By this modification, not only the image T2 value with a high accuracy but the image T1 value can be obtained simultaneously.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging↗

T2 estimates in healthy and diseased brain tissue: a comparison using various MR pulse sequences.

Fourteen patients and five healthy individuals underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to determine an effective multiple spin echo pulse sequence for estimating T2. Lesions examined included infarction, glioma, multiple sclerosis, and acute hematoma. A pulse repetition time (TR) of 1,500 msec and echo delays (TEs) of 25, 50, 75, and 100 msec were used. Computed T2 images were derived from all four echoes, the first two echoes, and the first and fourth echoes. T2 values were obtained from specific brain locales using region-of-interest analysis. Use of either the first two echoes or the first and fourth in the T2 fit provided T2 estimates which closely correlated with that of the four-echo analysis. The noise level in T2 maps constructed from the 25- and 100-msec echoes was modestly (typically 10%) higher than that from four echoes; noise level from the 25- and 50-msec echoes was markedly higher, typically 60%. This behavior is remarkably consistent with that predicted from theory. All 19 subjects displayed consistent relative T2 values for specific brain structures; in 13, the absolute T2 values fell within a limited range. Despite the high sensitivity of T2 images, their specificity in the detection of most brain disease appears limited except in acute intracerebral hematoma, which exhibited a decreased T2 relaxation time using high-field-strength MR imaging.

Adolescent↗

Proton MR spectroscopy of the normal human prostate with an endorectal coil and a double spin-echo pulse sequence.

This report describes the use of an endorectal coil and a double spin-echo pulse sequence for localized 1H MR spectroscopy of the normal prostate in volunteers. The spectra showed well-resolved signals for citrate, (phospho)choline, and creatine protons. Additional signals were assigned to taurine and myoinositol protons. J modulation of the main and outer peaks of citrate could be monitored in vivo. Apparent relaxation times T1 and T2 have been estimated for the methyl protons of cholines and creatine. An effective T1 relaxation time was estimated for the main peaks of the citrate multiplet. Ratios of the integrals of these resonances have been evaluated, and tissue contents of choline and creatine were estimated using the H2O signal as an internal reference. Spectroscopic imaging experiments revealed a lower relative citrate signal in central parts of the prostate than in peripheral parts.

Adult↗

Detection of lymph-node metastases in patients with gastric carcinoma: comparison of three MR imaging pulse sequences.

BACKGROUND: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained with three different pulse sequences for lymph-node metastases in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: T1-weighted spin-echo (SE), breath-hold T2-weighted fast SE, and triphasic gadolinium-enhanced dynamic gradient-recall-echo (GRE) MR images obtained in 16 patients with gastric carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. Regional lymph nodes were assigned to four different groups, and image review was conducted on a lymph-node group-by-group basis; 64 lymph-node groups were reviewed by two radiologists. Relative sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were determined based on the findings with definitive surgery and follow-up imaging. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by means of receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: Relative sensitivities for lymph-node metastases with T1-weighted SE, breath-hold T2-weighted fast SE, and dynamic GRE images were 61%, 94%, and 59%, respectively. Relative sensitivity with breath-hold T2-weighted fast SE images was significantly greater than that with T1-weighted SE (p < 0.05) and dynamic GRE (p < 0.05) images. Diagnostic accuracy determined by ROC analysis was marginally higher with breath-hold T2-weighted fast SE (area under ROC curve [Az] = 0.87) than with T1-weighted SE (Az = 0.78, p = 0.08) and dynamic GRE (Az = 0.79, p = 0.12) images. CONCLUSION: Breath-hold T2-weighted fast SE sequence is useful in the detection of regional lymph-node metastases in patients with gastric carcinoma.

Abdomen↗

Fast inversion recovery for myelin suppression (FIRMS). A new MRI pulse sequence for highlighting cerebral gray matter.

The purpose of this study is to test a new pulse sequence, fast inversion recovery for myelin suppression (FIRMS) for its ability to improve the conspicuity of gray matter. Twenty-six seizure patients were scanned with FIRMS as well as standard sequences. Gray matter conspicuity was evaluated objectively using region-of-interest calculations, including image contrast, contrast ratios, and contrast:noise (C/N). In evaluation of the hippocampus and cortex, all objective measurements of conspicuity were highest for FIRMS. In five clinical cases of suspected cortical dysplasia, FIRMS improved delineation of pathology in positive cases and ruled out the diagnosis in negative cases. In a case of hippocampal sclerosis, FIRMS was able to demonstrate atrophy of the alveus. Fast inversion recovery for myelin suppression holds promise for its ability to highlight the cerebral cortex and hippocampus.

Cerebral Cortex↗