High-resolution T1 and T2 mapping of the brain in a clinically acceptable time with DESPOT1 and DESPOT2

✍ Scribed by Sean C. L. Deoni; Terry M. Peters; Brian K. Rutt

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 433 KB
• Volume: 53
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0740-3194
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.20314

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Variations in the intrinsic T~1~ and T~2~ relaxation times have been implicated in numerous neurologic conditions. Unfortunately, the low resolution and long imaging time associated with conventional methods have prevented T~1~ and T~2~ mapping from becoming part of routine clinical evaluation. In this study, the clinical applicability of the DESPOT1 and DESPOT2 imaging methods for high‐resolution, whole‐brain, T~1~ and T~2~ mapping was investigated. In vivo, 1‐mm^3^ isotropic whole‐brain T~1~ and T~2~ maps of six healthy volunteers were acquired at 1.5 T with an imaging time of <17 min each. Isotropic maps (0.34 mm^3^) of one volunteer were also acquired (time <21 min). Average signal‐to‐noise within the 1‐mm^3^ T~1~ and T~2~ maps was ∼20 and ∼14, respectively, with average repeatability standard deviations of 46.7 ms and 6.7 ms. These results demonstrate the clinical feasibility of the methods in the study of neurologic disease. Magn Reson Med 53:237–241, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.