Influence of SENSE on image properties in high-resolution single-shot echo-planar DTI.
Limited spatial resolution is a key obstacle to the study of brain white matter structure with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). In its frequent implementation with single-excitation spin-echo echo-planar sequences, DTI's ability to resolve small structures is strongly restricted by T2 and T2* decay, B0 inhomogeneity, and limited signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this work the influence of sensitivity encoding (SENSE) on diffusion-weighted (DW) image properties is investigated. Computer simulations showed that the PSF becomes narrower with increasing SENSE reduction factors, R, enhancing the intrinsic resolution. After a brief theoretical discussion, we describe the estimation of SNR on a pixel-by-pixel basis as a function of R. The mean image SNR behavior is manifold: SENSE is capable of increasing SNR efficiency by reducing the echo time (TE). Each SNR(R) curve reveals a maximum that depends on the amount of partial Fourier encoding used. The overall best SNR efficiency for an eight-element head coil array and a b-factor of 1000 s/mm2 is achieved at R = 2.1 and partial Fourier encoding of 60%. In vivo tensor maps of volunteers and a patient, with an in-plane resolution of 0.78 x 0.78 mm2, are also presented to demonstrate the practical implementation of the parallel approach.
Jaermann
T
T
Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Pruessmann
K P
KP
Valavanis
A
A
Kollias
S
S
Boesiger
P
P
D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000473:pathology; D016477:Artifacts; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted