TY - JOUR
T1 - Anatomical brain imaging at 7T using two-dimensional GRASE
AU - Trampel, R.
AU - Reimer, E.
AU - Huber, L.
AU - Ivanov, D.V.
AU - Heidemann, R.M.
AU - Schäfer, A.
AU - Turner, R.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Purpose Specific absorption rate is a serious problem at high field strengths, especially for sequences involving many high power radiofrequency pulses, such as turbo spin echo (TSE). GRASE (gradient and spin echo) may overcome this problem by omitting a certain number of refocusing pulses of a TSE sequence, and replacing them with segmented echo-planar imaging readouts. MethodsGRASE and TSE were compared using similar sequence parameters at a field strength of 7T. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit time, contrast, and point spread function (PSF) were determined. High-resolution human brain images were acquired and the implementation of an inversion recovery preparation for T1 weighting was evaluated. ResultsTSE and GRASE images at 7T showed very similar SNR and contrast. The slightly worse PSF for GRASE is balanced by a significant reduction in scan time or increase in spatial coverage compared with TSE. Furthermore, implementing an additional inversion recovery preparation enables the acquisition of T1-weighted images with high SNR per unit time. ConclusionGRASE is highly suitable for structural scanning at ultra-high field strengths and is a valid alternative to the commonly used TSE sequence. Magn Reson Med 72:1291-1301, 2014.
AB - Purpose Specific absorption rate is a serious problem at high field strengths, especially for sequences involving many high power radiofrequency pulses, such as turbo spin echo (TSE). GRASE (gradient and spin echo) may overcome this problem by omitting a certain number of refocusing pulses of a TSE sequence, and replacing them with segmented echo-planar imaging readouts. MethodsGRASE and TSE were compared using similar sequence parameters at a field strength of 7T. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit time, contrast, and point spread function (PSF) were determined. High-resolution human brain images were acquired and the implementation of an inversion recovery preparation for T1 weighting was evaluated. ResultsTSE and GRASE images at 7T showed very similar SNR and contrast. The slightly worse PSF for GRASE is balanced by a significant reduction in scan time or increase in spatial coverage compared with TSE. Furthermore, implementing an additional inversion recovery preparation enables the acquisition of T1-weighted images with high SNR per unit time. ConclusionGRASE is highly suitable for structural scanning at ultra-high field strengths and is a valid alternative to the commonly used TSE sequence. Magn Reson Med 72:1291-1301, 2014.
U2 - 10.1002/mrm.25047
DO - 10.1002/mrm.25047
M3 - Article
C2 - 24443053
SN - 0740-3194
VL - 72
SP - 1291
EP - 1301
JO - Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
JF - Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
IS - 5
ER -