title: Visualization of lenticulostriate arteries at 3T: Optimization of slice-selective off-resonance sinc pulse-prepared TOF-MRA and its comparison with flow-sensitive black-blood MRA.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To optimize visualization of lenticulostriate artery (LSA) by time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with slice-selective off-resonance sinc (SORS) saturation transfer contrast pulses and to compare capability of optimal TOF-MRA and flow-sensitive black-blood (FSBB) MRA to visualize the LSA at 3T.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was approved by the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all the subjects. TOF-MRA was optimized in 20 subjects by comparing SORS pulses of different flip angles: 0, 400°, and 750°. Numbers of LSAs were counted. The optimal TOF-MRA was compared to FSBB-MRA in 21 subjects. Images were evaluated by the numbers and length of visualized LSAs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LSAs were significantly more visualized in TOF-MRA with SORS pulses of 400° than others (P < .003). When the optimal TOF-MRA was compared to FSBB-MRA, the visualization of LSA using FSBB (mean branch numbers 11.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 10.0-12.1; mean total length 236 mm, 95% CI 210-263 mm) was significantly better than using TOF (4.7, 95% CI 4.1-5.3; 78 mm, 95% CI 67-89 mm) for both numbers and length of the LSA (P < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LSA visualization was best with 400° SORS pulses for TOF-MRA but FSBB-MRA was better than TOF-MRA, which indicates its clinical potential to investigate the LSA on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. Electronic address: tomokada@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fushimi
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kido
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanagaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dodo
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Taha M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Mehemed
authors.affiliation: Toshiba America Research Institute, Vernon Hills, IL.
authors.forename: Mitsue
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.affiliation: Toshiba America Research Institute, Vernon Hills, IL.
authors.forename: Xiangzhi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Togashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation
keywords: Lenticulostriate artery; MR angiography; flow-sensitive black-blood; saturation transfer contrast; slice-selective off-resonance sinc pulse