title: An improved anatomical MRI technique with suppression of fixative fluid artifacts for the investigation of human postmortem brain phantoms.
abstract: Phantoms are often used to assess MR system stability in multicenter studies. Postmortem brain phantoms best replicate human brain anatomy, allowing for a combined assessment of the MR system and software chain for data analysis. However, a wash-out of fixative fluid affecting T1 values and thus T1-weighted sequences such as magnetization-prepared 180 degrees radiofrequency pulses and rapid gradient-echo (MP-RAGE) has been reported for brain phantoms, hampering their immediate use. The purpose of this study was the creation of anatomical data that provide the characteristics of conventional data while avoiding this artifact.
  
  
  
  Two brain phantoms were scanned at several time points, acquiring conventional MP-RAGE data and quantitative T1 and proton density (PD) maps. Assuming a suitable cutoff value T1cut, synthetic MP-RAGE data were created from these maps, being T1-weighted for T1 > T1cutto reduce fluid signal in the sulci, but PD-weighted for T1 < T1cutfor artifact suppression.
  
  
  
  A time-dependent artifact was observed in the T1 but not in the PD maps. The temporal stability of the synthetic data was greatly improved as compared to the conventional data.
  
  
  
  The proposed method enables anatomical imaging of postmortem brain phantoms, avoiding artifacts induced by the wash-out of fixative fluid, and thus achieving high signal stability shortly after fixation. Magn Reson Med 77:1115-1123, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN) and Immunotherapy (FZI), Rhine-Main Neuroscience Network (rmn2), University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.|Neuroimaging Center (NIC) of the Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Amgad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Droby
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Center (NIC) of the Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Kenneth Sung Lai
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neuropathology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schänzer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microanatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spiwoks-Becker
authors.affiliation: Institute for Neuropathology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Acker
authors.affiliation: Brain Imaging Center (BIC), Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lienerth
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN) and Immunotherapy (FZI), Rhine-Main Neuroscience Network (rmn2), University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.|Neuroimaging Center (NIC) of the Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zipp
authors.affiliation: Brain Imaging Center (BIC), Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deichmann
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D005404:Fixatives; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives
keywords: multicenter MRI studies; postmortem brain; quantitative MRI; standardization