title: Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Phosphocreatine and Determination of BOLD Kinetics in Lower Extremity Muscles using a Dual-Frequency Coil Array.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides the unique ability to study metabolic and microvasculature functions in skeletal muscle using phosphorus and proton measurements. However, the low sensitivity of these techniques can make it difficult to capture dynamic muscle activity due to the temporal resolution required for kinetic measurements during and after exercise tasks. Here, we report the design of a dual-nuclei coil array that enables proton and phosphorus MRI of the human lower extremities with high spatial and temporal resolution. We developed an array with whole-volume coverage of the calf and a phosphorus signal-to-noise ratio of more than double that of a birdcage coil in the gastrocnemius muscles. This enabled the local assessment of phosphocreatine recovery kinetics following a plantar flexion exercise using an efficient sampling scheme with a 6 s temporal resolution. The integrated proton array demonstrated image quality approximately equal to that of a clinical state-of-the-art knee coil, which enabled fat quantification and dynamic blood oxygen level-dependent measurements that reflect microvasculature function. The developed array and time-efficient pulse sequences were combined to create a localized assessment of calf metabolism using phosphorus measurements and vasculature function using proton measurements, which could provide new insights into muscle function.
authors.affiliation: Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|NYU WIRELESS, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, 2 Metro Tech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Oleksandr
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Khegai
authors.affiliation: Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.|Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI2R), Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Prodromos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parasoglou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
chemical_list: D010725:Phosphocreatine