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PubMed1985

Magnetic resonance (MR) cine imaging of the human heart.

A novel approach has been developed for MR cine imaging of the human heart by a modified ECG-gated 2DFT method. A pulse sequence has been devised to minimise the effects of saturation which can be anticipated in sequences that require rapid pulsing. Five frames are produced at the same anatomical level at predetermined intervals during the cardiac cycle. The total time taken to achieve this data is 8 minutes. Additional frames can be interleaved by repeating the sequence with an ECG-gated delay. The anatomical sections, which can be in any orthogonal plane, are then displayed as a cine loop. Cine display in the coronal plane has been used to examine 10 volunteers and 12 patients. In addition to the morphological feature displayed in single slice ECG-gated imaging, areas of dyskinesia can be detected and subjective estimates have been made of left ventricular function.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed1997

Typical and atypical MR imaging features of intracranial epidermoid tumors.

OBJECTIVE: We categorized the MR imaging characteristics of intracranial epidermoid tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR images from 23 cases of intracranial epidermoid tumors were reviewed retrospectively. Signal intensities of tumor relative to surrounding structures were noted, as were the internal architecture of the tumors and the presence and degree of hydrocephalus. RESULTS: Seventeen (74%) of 23 cases of intracranial epidermoid tumors were revealed as slightly hyperintense relative to CSF on T1-weighted MR images. Nineteen (95%) of 20 cases were hyperintense relative to CSF on proton density-weighted MR images. Fifteen (65%) of 23 cases were isointense to CSF on T2-weighted MR images, whereas the remaining eight cases (35%) were hyperintense to CSF on T2-weighted MR images. One (4%) of 23 cases showed signal intensity that was isointense to CSF on all pulse sequences. Fifteen (65%) of 23 cases showed heterogeneous signal characteristics on either T1-weighted or proton density-weighted MR images, or both. Eight (35%) of 23 cases showed a rim of hyperintensity on proton density-weighted MR images. Five (33%) of the 15 cases that received gadolinium showed rim enhancement. Five (22%) of 23 cases were multilocular, with different regions of tumors showing highly variable imaging characteristics. Two (9%) of 23 cases showed high signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images in the adjacent brain parenchyma. Two (9%) of 23 cases showed mild hydrocephalus. Six (43%) of 14 tumors that either originated in or secondarily involved the cerebellopontine angle also extended into the ipsilateral Meckel's cave. CONCLUSION: On T1-, proton density-, and T2-weighted MR images intracranial epidermoid tumors usually showed heterogeneous signal intensity that was hyperintense to CSF. On all spin-echo pulse sequences epidermoid tumors with signal characteristics isointense to CSF were unusual. Hydrocephalus, even in the setting of marked displacement and compression of the brainstem, was not usually seen on MR imaging. Meckel's cave was often involved secondarily with epidermoid tumors that involved the cerebellopontine angle.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Multishot diffusion-weighted imaging features in spinal cord infarction.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to use a multishot, navigator-corrected, echo-planar (EP) pulse sequence to perform clinical diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), analyze the DWI findings in ischemic spinal cord lesions, and discuss the value of DW magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in distinguishing infarction (especially in the subacute stage) from inflammatory diseases and tumors of the spinal cord. METHODS: Six patients (two male, four female) with typical sudden onset of neurologic deficits caused by spinal cord ischemia were evaluated. There were no definite etiologies in these patients. Three cases occurred in the thoracolumbar region and three others occurred in the cervical cord. DWI was performed within 1-12 days after the initial neurologic symptoms by using a Philips Gyroscan 1.5 T MR system. Four patients had other scans including contrast-enhanced MRI and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) scans. Two cases were followed up with MR images in 3 months. All the patients were imaged using a multishot, navigator-corrected, EP pulse sequence; apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated on the sagittal-oriented plane. RESULTS: MR abnormalities were demonstrated on sagittal T2-weighted images with "patch-like" or "strip-like" hyperintensities (six of six) and spinal cord enlargement (five of six). Axial T2-weighted images showed bilateral (six of six) hyperintensities. In one patient, only the posterior spinal artery territory was involved. The spinal cord was mainly affected at the cervical (three of six) and thoracolumbar (three of six) regions. Two cases involved the conus medullaris (T10-L1). The intensity of lesion signals in DW images depended on how soon after the onset of illness the scan was carried out and whether hemorrhage had occurred. In this group of patients, ADC values of lesions ranged from 0.23 x 10(-3) to 0.47 x 10(-3) mm2/s (average value 0.36 +/- 0.10 x 10(-3) mm2/s), markedly lower than the values of normal parts (average value 0.89 +/- 0.08 x 10(-3) mm2/s). There were obviously significant differences between areas with lesions and normal regions (P < 0.01). All cases had better signal contrast in DW images than in T2-weighted images. Dynamic or repeated DWI examinations may help analyze the degree of injury and recovery. Most lesions (three of four) showed nonenhanced effects in the contrast-enhanced MRI except one lesion, which showed irregular slight enhancement. FLAIR images showed poor signal contrast between lesions and normal tissue and thus are not fit for displaying infarct lesions. CONCLUSIONS: MRI is useful in detecting spinal cord infarction. DWI (especially multishot DWI) of the spinal cord may provide additional information for the assessment of ischemic changes and help improve in differentiating diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Nongated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: preliminary experience at 0.12 T.

Nongated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been reported previously to be inadequate for obtaining diagnostic information. This study explored the role of pulse sequence in the degradation of the nongated cardiac image. Images of diagnostic quality were obtained by using single spin-echo sequences with a very short echo time (10-20 msec TE) on a 0.12-T developmental MR unit. Marked degradation of the image was noted with longer TEs, and it is concluded that the previous unfavorable reports using a nongated technique may have been due to the longer TEs used in other units. Short-TE technique was used to examine 34 patients with a variety of cardiac diseases. Eleven patients had ventricular aneurysms. These cases showed thinning of the myocardium, and four of them showed increased signal within the aneurysm, perhaps related to regionally slower blood flow. Twenty patients had enlargement of one or more cardiac chambers. Three of these patients had thrombus within an enlarged chamber, which was readily identified on MRI. Twelve patients had left ventricular hypertrophy that was concentric in 11. One patient demonstrated asymmetric septal hypertrophy. All four pericardial effusions were low in signal intensity, but this was related to the pulse sequence used. Six patients had extrinsic masses displacing the heart and distorting the chamber contour. One patient showed intracardiac invasion of tumor; this finding was not evident on the CT. One patient with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and corrected transposition was scanned. In addition to identifying the VSD and chamber hypertrophy, the malposition of the great vessels at the base of the heart was seen. Four postoperative patients were scanned; wire suture artifact did not preclude imaging. In conclusion, diagnostic information can be obtained from nongated cardiac images provided that the TE is very short (10-20 msec). Although quantitative functional data are not available from nongated images, qualitative and diagnostic information is possible and may suffice in certain circumstances.

Cardiomegaly↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Experience with diffusion-weighted imaging in an acute stroke unit.

We performed diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) on a standard 1.5-tesla MRI scanner using a high-speed stimulated echo pulse sequence (turboSTEAM) in 9 stroke patients and 9 control subjects to investigate whether this technique can be used clinically to assist in ischaemic stroke diagnosis within the time frame for potential therapy. Stroke patients underwent DWI between 3.75 h and 3 days after stroke onset. Three patients were studied on more than one occasion. DWI was normal in the 9 controls. Seven of 9 stroke patients showed areas of increased signal on DWI. DWI detected cerebral ischaemia 3.75 h after stroke onset when both CT and T2-weighted MRI were normal. In 6 DWI-positive patients studied at later times, increased signal on T2-weighted images was present at the same time. Two patients had normal CT, T2-weighted and DWI images; both made good neurological recoveries. For the routine assessment of stroke patients, DWI implemented on a standard MRI system can provide additional information of clinical value to that obtained with conventional pulse sequences. In particular it facilitates early detection of cerebral ischaemia during the first few hours after stroke.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Cine magnetic resonance microscopy of the rat heart using cardiorespiratory-synchronous projection reconstruction.

PURPOSE: To tailor a cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) microscopy technique for the rat that combines improvements in pulse sequence design and physiologic control to acquire high-resolution images of cardiac structure and function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Projection reconstruction (PR) was compared to conventional Cartesian techniques in point-spread function simulations and experimental studies to evaluate its artifact sensitivity. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were imaged at 2.0 T using PR with direct encoding of the free induction decay. Specialized physiologic support and monitoring equipment ensured consistency of biological motion and permitted synchronization of imaging with the cardiac and respiratory cycles. RESULTS: The reduced artifact sensitivity of PR offered improved delineation of cardiac and pulmonary structures. Ventilatory synchronization further increased the signal-to-noise ratio by reducing inter-view variability. High-quality short-axis and long-axis cine images of the rat heart were acquired with 10-msec temporal resolution and microscopic spatial resolution down to 175 microm x 175 microm x 1 mm. CONCLUSION: Integrating careful biological control with an optimized pulse sequence significantly limits both the source and impact of image artifacts. This work represents a novel integration of techniques designed to support measurement of cardiac morphology and function in rodent models of cardiovascular disease.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Volume distribution of cerebrospinal fluid using multispectral MR imaging.

The goal of this study was to design a reliable method to quantify and visualize the anatomical distribution of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) intracranially. The method should be clinically applicable and based on multispectral analysis of three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance images. T1-weighted, T2-weighted and proton density-weighted fast 3D gradient pulse sequences were used to form high resolution multispectral 3D images of the entire head. Training on single 2D slices, the Mahalanobis distances between the resulting multivariate tissue-specific densities were studied as functions of the feature vector composition and dimension. Multispectral analysis was applied to the images of four human brains. One feature vector with three components gave CSF volumes that were in the normal range and corresponding anatomical distributions that largely agreed with general anatomical knowledge. The exception was CSF missing around the basal parts of the brain due to signal artifacts. These artifacts were almost certainly due to the coil effect and magnetic field inhomogeneities induced by the imaged head. Such misclassifications could probably be reduced by bias field estimation and proper image restoration. Most CSF voxels formed large connected components that were found automatically, so the manual post-processing of the classified 3D image to locate CSF voxels was moderate. It is concluded that some of the fast, high resolution 3D gradient echo pulse sequences that have become available on conventional clinical scanners can be used to obtain good estimates of brain cerebrospinal fluid anatomical distribution and volume.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Theoretical basis for sodium and potassium MRI of the human heart at 1.5 T.

Knowledge of the extent and location of viable tissue is important to clinical diagnosis. In principle, sodium (23Na) and potassium (39K) MRI could noninvasively provide information about tissue viability. In practice, imaging of these nuclei is difficult because, compared with water protons (1H), 23Na and 39K have lower MR sensitivities (9.2 and 0.051%, respectively), and lower in vivo concentrations (ca. 1000-fold). On the other hand, the relatively short T1 relaxation times of 23Na and 39K (ca. 30 and 10 ms, respectively) suggest that optimized imaging pulse sequences may in part alleviate the weak signal of these nuclei. In this study, numerical simulations of high-speed imaging sequences were developed and used to maximize 23Na and 39K image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit time within the constraints of existing gradient hardware. The simulation demonstrated that decreasing receiver bandwidth at the expense of echo time (TE) results in a substantial increase in 23Na and 39K image SNR/time despite the short T2 and T2* of these nuclei. Referenced to the available 1H signal on existing 1.5 T scanners, the simulation suggested that it should be possible to acquire three-dimensional 23Na images of the human heart with 7 x 7 x 7 mm resolution and 39K images with 26 x 26 x 26 mm resolution in 30 min. Experimentally in humans at 1.5 T, three-dimensional 23Na images of the heart were acquired in 15 min with 6 x 6 x 12 mm resolution and signal-to-noise ratios of 11 and 7 in the left ventricular cavity and myocardium, respectively, which is very similar to the predicted result. The results demonstrate that by choosing imaging pulse sequence parameters that fully exploit the short relaxation times of 23Na and 39K, potassium MRI is improved but remains impractical, whereas sodium MRI improves to the point where 23Na imaging of the human heart may be clinically feasible on existing 1.5 T scanners.

Heart Ventricles↗
PubMed1996

Effects of experimentally achievable improvements in the quality of NMR distance constraints on the accuracy of calculated protein structures.

New methods for collecting cross-relaxation data from proteins and nucleic acids make it possible to improve the accuracy and precision of interproton distance measurements used as input for NMR solution structure determinations. It thus is of interest to determine whether such experimentally achievable improvements in input distance constraints have significant effects on the precision and accuracy of the resulting structures. To answer this question, we have turned to a computational procedure involving the use of data simulated from a known structure, in order to allow unambiguous assessments of accuracy. The approach to improved distances evaluated here is that afforded by magnetization exchange network editing (MENE); MENE pulse sequences break the network of cross-relaxation interactions into regions that are manipulated so as to defeat certain spin-diffusion terms. A target structure was prepared from the X-ray structure of a small protein, turkey ovomucoid third domain (OMTKY3). A normal NOESY spectrum and two varieties of MENE spectra, BD-NOESY and CBD-NOESY, were simulated by means of complete relaxation matrix analysis. These results were used to create different input data sets with the same number of constraints (perfectly accurate distances derived from the target structure, more accurate distances derived from the MENE simulations, and less accurate distances derived from the NOESY simulation), and these, interpreted at different levels of precision, were used as input for solution structure calculations. The results showed that the use of more precise input data measurably improves the local precision and accuracy of calculated structures, but only if the more precise data include the actual target distance. Incorporation of the experimentally achievable, accurate distances with higher precision afforded by the MENE pulse sequences into the set of input distances was found to improve the accuracy of the resulting structures, particularly in terms of side-chain conformation.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

NMR imaging of intracranial hemorrhage.

Twenty-one intracranial hemorrhagic lesions were imaged at 0.15 and 0.6 T using inversion recovery (IR), spin echo (SE), and multiple SE (Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill, CPMG) pulse sequences. Two subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH), nine acute intraparenchymal hemorrhages (IPH), ten chronic IPH, and one subdural hematoma were studied. Acute SAH could not be identified on the T1-weighted, IR images but was clearly seen on a T2-weighted, CPMG image. Acute (7 days or less) intraparenchymal hematoma showed signal intensity on IR and CPMG images similar to white matter. The T1 and T2 times of acute intraparenchymal hematoma were also similar to white matter. Some small acute hematomas could not be distinguished from white matter on IR and CPMG images. Acute hemorrhagic tissue showed image intensities and relaxation times similar to gray matter. All acute hemorrhages were identified on CT. Chronic IPH lesions (14 days or more) showed high signal intensity, greater than white matter, on IR, SE, and CPMG images. The T1 of the chronic lesions was similar to the acute lesions but T2 was significantly longer (p less than 0.05). Available evidence suggests that the nonspecificity of acute IPH signal and relaxation times may not be restricted to our pulse sequences or magnetic field strengths.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Rapid imaging of free radicals in vivo using hybrid FISP field-cycled PEDRI.

A new pulse sequence for rapid imaging of free radicals is presented which combines snapshot imaging methods and conventional field-cycled proton electron double resonance imaging (FC-PEDRI). The new sequence allows the number of EPR irradiation periods to be optimized to obtain an acceptable SNR and spatial resolution of free radical distribution in the final image while reducing the RF power deposition and increasing the temporal resolution. Centric reordered phase encoding has been employed to counter the problem of rapid decay of the Overhauser-enhanced signal. A phase-correction scheme has also been used to correct problems arising from instability of the magnetic field following field-cycling. In vivo experiments were carried out using triaryl methyl free radical contrast agent, injected at a dose of 0.214 mmol kg(-1) body weight in anaesthetized adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Transaxial images through the abdomen were collected using 1, 2, 4 and 8 EPR irradiation periods. Using 4 EPR irradiation periods it was possible to generate free radical distributions of acceptable SNR and resolution. The EPR power deposition is reduced by a factor of 16 and the acquisition time is reduced by a factor of 4 compared to an acquisition using the conventional FC-PEDRI pulse sequence.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Cervical spine: postmortem assessment of accident injuries--comparison of radiographic, MR imaging, anatomic, and pathologic findings.

PURPOSE: To assess the ability of postmortem radiography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to depict occult cervical spine injuries as compared with anatomic and pathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cervical spines of 10 adult accident victims underwent radiography and MR imaging, with T1-weighted, fast spin-echo T2-weighted, and four gradient-echo pulse sequences. The frozen specimens were cut into 3-mm-thick slices (sagittal plane) and photographed, and microfocus radiographs were obtained. Imaging findings were compared with the anatomic and pathologic findings. RESULTS: Eight of the 10 specimens had 28 posttraumatic lesions: three fractures (two missed at the initial MR imaging reading), 10 facet joint capsule lesions with bleeding, five soft-tissue and ligament lesions, eight disk lesions, and two spinal cord lesions. Radiography depicted one lesion (4%). Two partial ruptures of the anterior annulus fibrosus were depicted at only MR imaging. Initially, 11 of 28 lesions were detected on MR images; retrospectively, 17 of 28 lesions were correlated with anatomic findings. CONCLUSION: Soft-tissue and intervertebral disk and ligament injuries account for 89% (25 of 28) of posttraumatic cervical spine lesions detected on postmortem images. Occult lesions, including apophyseal joint injuries, were found in clinically noninjured cervical spines. MR imaging was limited in the depiction of discrete lesions when T1-weighted non-fat-saturated, fast spin-echo T2-weighted, and gradient-echo pulse sequences were used.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Magnetic resonance imaging of the adrenal gland.

The authors review their experience with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the adrenal gland and discuss the appearance of adrenal diseases where MRI is clinically useful. A basic description of some of the newer pulse sequences is provided. Fat-suppressed MRI is advantageous because of reduction of cardiac and respiratory motion induced artifacts, accentuation of small differences in tissue contrast, and elimination of chemical shift artifacts. These advantages far outweigh the disadvantages of inhomogeneity of fat suppression and the fewer slices obtained per acquisition. Chemical shift imaging is used to differentiate benign from malignant adrenal diseases based on a gradient echo phase cycling technique. Detailed descriptions of MRI findings in adrenal pheochromocytomas, hemorrhage, cysts, adenomas, myelolipomas, and metastases are provided. Most pheochromocytomas appear markedly hyperintense to the liver on T2-weighted images. However, this appearance is not specific as adrenal metastases and adrenal adenomas may occasionally produce a similar appearance. In addition, pheochromocytomas may occasionally be isointense or hypointense to the liver on T2-weighted images. Differentiation of adrenal metastases from adrenal adenomas with MRI is problematic using signal intensity ratios (33% overlap) or T2 calculations. The future of discriminating between adrenal metastases and adenomas may rest with chemical shift MRI, which uses in- and out-of-phase gradient echo pulse sequences for differentiation. This approach relies on the fact that adrenal adenomas contain fat, while adrenal metastases do not. The reported accuracy of chemical shift imaging in differentiating between adrenal adenomas and adrenal metastases ranges from 96 to 100%. An algorithmic approach to differentiating benign from malignant adrenal diseases is presented that relies on an initial noncontrast CT with CT attenuation values obtained from the adrenal mass. If CT attenuation values are less than zero, the mass is characterized as benign. If the mass remains indeterminate after CT, chemical shift MR is performed. If the mass remains indeterminate after MR, biopsy is required.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1994

Precision, accuracy, and image plane uniformity in NMR relaxation time imaging on a 1.5 T whole-body MR imaging system.

In order to evaluate the accuracy, precision and image plane uniformity a phantom study was undertaken on a 1.5 T whole-body MR imaging system (Philips Gyroscan S15 HP). The manufacturers algorithm for obtaining relaxation time images was used. This method uses Ratios and Least Squares (RLSQ-algorithm) on data obtained from a combination of a multi-echo (CPMG) and an inversion recovery pulse sequence, yielding a calculated T1-, T2- and a proton density image simultaneously. T1 and T2 accuracy was measured in phantoms consisting of CuSO4 and MnCl2 in aqueous solution in different concentrations. The results were compared to a reference T1 and T2 obtained by spectroscopy. The accuracy error over the entire relaxation time range was expressed as the root mean square of the modulus of the difference between the reference and the image measurement and was 2.3% for T1 and 4.1% for T2. Precision or reproducibility was measured by 11 double estimations on 11 samples. The precision error was 0.35% for both T1 and T2. Image plane uniformity, i.e., the homogeneity of pixel values throughout the image plane, was measured by 3 consecutive image readings from a phantom of 19 cm in diam. in 8 directions 45 degrees apart and 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 cm from the center. Errors in the imaging plane were expressed as the deviation from the center value. For both T1 and T2 the maximum deviation was less than 5% over the entire image in the transverse plane. It is concluded that when the pulse sequence timings are carefully optimized, the mixed imaging sequence in combination with the RLSQ algorithm used in this MRI system is a reliable and precise means of obtaining relaxation time data.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1997

NMR relaxation studies with MnDPDP.

PURPOSE: Our studies were designed to compare the efficacy of mangafodipir trisodium (MnDPDP, Teslascan) as a tissue-specific MR agent with that of manganese chloride (MnCl2), to compare the efficacy of different doses and rates of administration of MnDPDP, and to collect the data needed for predicting optimum pulse sequences. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The dose response for the relaxation rates R1 and R2 at 0.47 T, and the manganese (Mn) concentrations in rat liver and in the liver, pancreas, heart and adrenals of pigs was determined for both MnDPDP and MnCl2 administered i.v. Computer simulations were carried out to model the effects of different tissue Mn concentrations and TR on signal intensities and contrast-to-noise ratios. RESULTS: In rat liver and pig organs both compounds produced a positive dose-response in R1 and tissue Mn concentration, and only small or no response in R2. The Mn concentration in rat liver was positively correlated with R1, regardless of the form in which Mn was given, or the rate of administration. Optimal imaging parameters are therefore expected to be different pre- and post-MnDPDP administration. CONCLUSION: The added cardiovascular safety of MnDPDP compared with MnCl2 does not result in loss of efficacy in increasing RI at the intended clinical dose of 5 mumol/kg MnDPDP. The changes in R2 were too small to affect T2-weighted images. The data give the basis for choosing the appropriate pulse sequences for MnDPDP-enhanced MR imaging.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quantitative study of flow dependence in NMR images at low flow velocities.

A basic theoretical model that describes the effects of flow in and out of the imaging plane in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) images, obtained with the standard pulse sequences single spin echo, multiple spin echo, and inversion recovery, is presented. Theoretically calculated signal values are compared with experimental results obtained from single-slice images of a flow phantom for variable flow velocity v as well as for variable echo time and inversion time at flow velocities less than 10 mm/s, corresponding to those found in cerebrospinal fluid, in capillary systems, and in smaller veins. The quantitative correspondence between theory and experiment is good in the range of velocities studied and for the imaging parameters used, but discrepancies occur when higher velocities are studied. In addition, flow in a capillary model is demonstrated qualitatively for very low linear flow velocities, less than 1 mm/s. It is concluded that the model describes the essentials of the inflow-outflow effect and that this effect can predict the flow dependence of the NMR signal for low flow velocities. Observed differences between model and experiment may be due to effects of flow-induced phase alterations and due to uncertainty in measurements of the relaxation times T1 and T2. The model described here can be extended to suit other types of pulse sequences and to suit multislice imaging. It can also be extended to incorporate flow-induced phase effects.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1987

Optimizing conventional MR imaging of the spine.

With the use of conventional spin-echo pulse sequences with a long repetition time (TR), the echo time (TE) and the number of echoes were varied to minimize cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow artifacts in a spine phantom and in cervical spines of three volunteers. The following echo trains were compared in both axial and sagittal planes with a TR of 2,000 msec: TE of 25, 80 msec ("asymmetric"); TE of 40, 80 msec ("symmetric long TE"); and TE of 20, 40, 60, and 80 msec ("symmetric short TE"). Variable degrees of even-echo rephasing of CSF flow artifacts were observed during sagittal but not axial imaging, depending on the echo train used. Even-echo rephasing was most complete with the symmetric short-TE echo train, less complete with the symmetric long-TE echo train, and absent with the asymmetric echo train. Switching the orientation of the phase and frequency encoding gradients and slightly modifying TR on the basis of the heart rate further improved image quality. The results suggest that a symmetric short-TE echo train may be used to provide velocity compensation (similar to that observed with rephasing gradients) on even echoes of conventional spin-echo pulse sequences during spine imaging.

Cerebrospinal Fluid↗
PubMed2000

Validation of partial tissue segmentation of single-channel magnetic resonance images of the brain.

We describe and evaluate a practical, automated algorithm based on local statistical mixture modeling for segmenting single-channel, T1-weighted volumetric magnetic resonance images of the brain into gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid. We employed a stereological sampling method to assess, prospectively, the performance of the method with respect to human experts on 10 normal T1-weighted brain scans acquired with a three-dimensional gradient echo pulse sequence. The overall kappa statistic for the concordance of the algorithm with the human experts was 0.806, while that among raters, excluding the algorithm, was 0.802. The algorithm had better agreement with the modal expert decision (kappa = 0.878). The algorithm could not be distinguished from the experts by this measure. We also validated the algorithm on a simulated MR scan of a digital brain phantom with known tissue composition. Global gray matter and white matter errors were 1% and <1%, respectively, and correlation coefficients with the underlying tissue model were 0.95 for gray matter, 0.98 for white matter, and 0.95 for cerebrospinal fluid. In both approaches to validation, we evaluated both local and global performance of the algorithm. Human experts generated slightly higher global gray matter proportion estimates on the test brain scans relative to the algorithm (3.7%) and on the simulated MR scan relative to the true tissue model (4.4%). The algorithm underestimated gray in some subcortical nuclei which contain admixed gray and white matter. We demonstrate the reliability of the method on individual 1 NEX data sets of the test subjects, and its insensitivity to the precise values of initial model parameters. The output of this algorithm is suitable for quantifying cerebral cortical tissue, using a commonly performed commercial pulse sequence.

Algorithms↗