Nonlinear phase correction of navigated multi-coil diffusion images.
Cardiac pulsatility causes a nonrigid motion of the brain. In multi-shot diffusion imaging this leads to spatially varying phase changes that must be corrected. A conjugate gradient based reconstruction is presented that includes phase changes measured using two-dimensional navigator echoes, coil sensitivity information, navigator-determined weightings, and data from multiple coils and averages.A multi-shot echo planar sequence was used to image brain regions where pulsatile motion is not uniform. Reduced susceptibility artifacts were observed compared to a clinical single-shot sequence. In a higher slice, fiber directions derived from single-shot data show distortions from anatomical scans by as much as 7 mm compared to less than 2 mm for our multi-shot reconstructions. The reduced distortions imply that phase encoding can be applied in the shorter left-right direction, enabling time savings through the use of a rectangular field of view. Higher resolution diffusion imaging in the spine permits visualization of a nerve root.
Atkinson
David
D
Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, United Kingdom. D.Atkinson@ucl.uk
Counsell
Serena
S
Hajnal
Joseph V
JV
Batchelor
Philip G
PG
Hill
Derek L G
DL
Larkman
David J
DJ
D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D009068:Movement; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity