Velocity-selective magnetization-prepared non-contrast-enhanced cerebral MR angiography at 3 Tesla: Improved immunity to B0/B1 inhomogeneity

• Published in: Magnetic resonance in medicine Vol. 75; no. 3; pp. 1232 - 1241
• Main Authors: Qin, Qin, Shin, Taehoon, Schär, Michael, Guo, Hua, Chen, Hanwei, Qiao, Ye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Angiography; Blood vessels; Brain; Brain - blood supply; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Angiography - methods; cerebral MRA; Computer Simulation; Female; Fourier transforms; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Immunity; Inhomogeneity; Magnetic Resonance Angiography - methods; Magnetization; Male; Medical imaging; Middle Aged; non-contrast-enhanced MRA; Saturation; Velocity; velocity-selective pulse train; Wideband communications; non-contrast-enhanced MRA; cerebral MRA; velocity-selective pulse train
• ISSN: 0740-3194; 1522-2594
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.25764

Purpose To develop a Fourier‐transform based velocity‐selective (VS) pulse train that offers improved robustness to B0/B1 inhomogeneity for non‐contrast‐enhanced cerebral MR angiography (MRA) at 3 Tesla (T). Methods VS pulse train I and II with different saturation bands are proposed to incorporate paired and phase cycled refocusing pulses. Their sensitivity to B0/B1 inhomogeneity was estimated through simulation and compared with a single refocused VS pulse train. The implementation was compared to standard time of flight (TOF) among eight healthy subjects. Results In contrast to single refocused VS pulse train, the simulated VS profiles from proposed pulse trains indicate much improved immunity to field inhomogeneity in the brain at 3T. Successive application of two identical VS pulse trains yields a better suppression of static tissue at the cost of 20∼30% signal loss within large vessels. Average relative contrast ratios of major cerebral arterial segments applying both pulse train I and II with two preparations are 0.81 ± 0.06 and 0.81 ± 0.05, respectively, significantly higher than 0.67 ± 0.07 of TOF‐MRA. VS MRA, in particular, the pulse train II with the narrower saturation band, depicts more small vessels with slower flow. Conclusion VS magnetization‐prepared cerebral MRA was demonstrated among normal subjects on a 3T scanner. Magn Reson Med 75:1232–1241, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.