Reproducibility of quantitative cerebral T2 relaxometry, diffusion tensor imaging, and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3.0 Tesla.
OBJECTIVE
The reproducibility of quantitative cerebral T2 relaxometry, diffusion tensor imaging, and H magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic imaging was assessed on a clinical 3.0 T MR system.


METHODS
Repeated measurements in 10 healthy volunteers were used to establish the reproducibility of quantitative measures derived from different quantitative MR techniques, namely the T2 relaxation time, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), the fractional anisotropy (FA), and metabolite concentrations of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), choline (Cho), and myo-inositol (mI). Results were compared with previously reported reproducibility measures from 1.5 T.


RESULTS
The coefficient of variation (CV) was < or =1.6% for T2, < or =1.6% for ADC, and < or =5.3%, for FA in the cerebrum. For metabolites the CV was < or =8.0% in the frontal lobe and < or =20.4% in the temporal lobe.


CONCLUSIONS
The reproducibility of quantitative brain MRI at 3.0 T is better than or at least comparable to the reproducibility at 1.5 T.
Jansen
Jacobus F A
JF
Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands. j.f.a.jansen@tue.nl
Kooi
M Eline
ME
Kessels
Alfons G H
AG
Nicolay
Klaas
K
Backes
Walter H
WH
D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline