Velocity-selective magnetization-prepared non-contrast-enhanced cerebral MR angiography at 3 Tesla: Improved immunity to B0/B1 inhomogeneity.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a Fourier-transform based velocity-selective (VS) pulse train that offers improved robustness to B0/B1 inhomogeneity for non-contrast-enhanced cerebral MR angiography (MRA) at 3 Tesla (T).


METHODS
VS pulse train I and II with different saturation bands are proposed to incorporate paired and phase cycled refocusing pulses. Their sensitivity to B0/B1 inhomogeneity was estimated through simulation and compared with a single refocused VS pulse train. The implementation was compared to standard time of flight (TOF) among eight healthy subjects.


RESULTS
In contrast to single refocused VS pulse train, the simulated VS profiles from proposed pulse trains indicate much improved immunity to field inhomogeneity in the brain at 3T. Successive application of two identical VS pulse trains yields a better suppression of static tissue at the cost of 20 ∼ 30% signal loss within large vessels. Average relative contrast ratios of major cerebral arterial segments applying both pulse train I and II with two preparations are 0.81 ± 0.06 and 0.81 ± 0.05, respectively, significantly higher than 0.67 ± 0.07 of TOF-MRA. VS MRA, in particular, the pulse train II with the narrower saturation band, depicts more small vessels with slower flow.


CONCLUSIONS
VS magnetization-prepared cerebral MRA was demonstrated among normal subjects on a 3T scanner.
The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Qin
Q
Qin
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Taehoon
T
Shin
The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Michael
M
Schär
Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Hua
H
Guo
Department of Radiology, Panyu District Central Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
Hanwei
H
Chen
The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Ye
Y
Qiao
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
cerebral MRA; non-contrast-enhanced MRA; velocity-selective pulse train