title: Human imaging at 9.4 T using T(2) *-, phase-, and susceptibility-weighted contrast.
abstract: The effect of susceptibility differences on an MR image is known to increase with field strength. Magnetic field inhomogeneities within the voxels influence the apparent transverse relaxation time T(2) *, while effects due to different precession frequencies between voxels caused by local field variations are evident in the image phase, and susceptibility-weighted imaging highlights the veins and deep brain structures. Here, these three contrast mechanisms are examined at a field strength of 9.4 T. The T(2) * maps generated allow the identification of white matter structures not visible in conventional images. Phase images with in-plane resolutions down to 130 μm were obtained, showing high gray/white matter contrast and allowing the identification of internal cortical structures. The susceptibility-weighted images yield excellent visibility of small venous structures and attain an in-plane resolution of 175 μm.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Magnetic Resonance Center, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Budde
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shajan
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Kâmil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uğurbil
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pohmann
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*