Three‐dimensional motion corrected sensitivity encoding reconstruction for multi‐shot multi‐slice MRI: Application to neonatal brain imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging is a popular non-invasive technique for investigating soft tissue structures within the human body. Many design methods now exist for their principle hardware components, such as the radio frequency (RF) coils. A popular RF coil type is the RF phased array, comprised of many closely spaced coils covering a large volume. A time harmonic inverse method is presented for the theoretical design of RF phased arrays. The method allows any array size to be considered where the focus is on optimal coil geometry and position of individual coils. An ill-conditioned integral equation is solved using a regularisation strategy in which the error between induced and target magnetic fields is minimised along with an additional constraint related to the curvature of the coil windings. The method is demonstrated for a number of design considerations and includes the ability to focus the RF field to arbitrary locations within the coil volume. The effect of the choice of magnetic field polarisation direction is also investigated using the model. References Jin J. 1999. Electromagnetic Analysis and Design in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Florida: CRC Press. Lawrence B. G., Crozier S., Yau D. D. and Doddrell D. M. 2002. A time-harmonic inverse methodology for the design of rf coils in mri, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering 49(1), 64--71. doi:10.1109/10.972841 Li B. K., Liu F. and Crozier S. 2005. Focused, eight-element transceive phased array coil for parallel magnetic resonance imaging of the chest --- theoretical considerations, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 53, 1251--1257. doi:10.1002/mrm.20505 Ramo S., Whinnery J. R. and van Duzer T. 1967. Fields and waves in communication electronics, New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Roemer P. B., Edelstein W. A., Hayes C. E., Souza S. P. and Mueller O. M. 1990. The nmr phased array, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 16(2), 192--225. doi:10.1002/mrm.1910160203 Sodickson D. K., McKenzie C. A., Ohliger M. A., Yeh E. N. and Price M. D. 2002. Recent advances in image reconstruction, coil sensitivity calibration, and coil array design for SMASH and generalized parallel mri, Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine 13, 158--163. Turner R. 1986. A target field approach to optimal coil design, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 19, L147--L151. doi:10.1088/0022-3727/19/8/001 While P. T., Forbes L. K. and Crozier S. 2005a. A time-harmonic target-field method for designing unshielded rf coils in mri, Measurement Science and Technology 16, 997--1006. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/16/4/012 While P. T., Forbes L. K. and Crozier S. 2005b. A time-harmonic target-field method for designing shielded rf coils in mri, Measurement Science and Technology 16, 1381--1393. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/16/6/021 While P. T., Forbes L. K. and Crozier S. 2006. An inverse method for designing loaded rf coils in mri, Measurement Science and Technology 17, 2506--2518. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/17/9/019 Brideson M. A., Forbes L. K. and Crozier S. 2002. Determining complicated winding patterns for shim coils using streamfunctions and the target-field method, Concepts in Magnetic Resonance 14(1), 9--18. doi:10.1002/cmr.10000 While P. T., Forbes L. K. and Crozier S. 2007. An inverse method for designing rf phased array coils in mri --- theoretical considerations, Measurement Science and Technology 18, 245--259. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/18/1/031 Delves L. M. and Mohamed J. L. 1985. Computational methods for integral equations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Forbes L. K. and Crozier S. 2002. A novel target-field method for finite-length magnetic resonance shim coils: II. tesseral shims, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 35, 839--849. doi:10.1088/0022-3727/35/9/303 Hardy C. J., Cline H. E., Giaquinto R. O., Niendorf T., Grant A. K. and Sodickson D. K. 2006. 32-element receiver-coil array for cardiac imaging, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 55, 1142--1149. doi:10.1002/mrm.20870

In the last few years there has been rapid progress in the application of nuclear magnetic resonance clinical imaging as a diagnostic aid (Partain et al, 1983; Steiner, 1983; Worthington, 1983). Records kept by the operators of NMR imaging equipment indicate that about 1800 individuals have now been examined without incident within the United Kingdom. In view of this progress, an advisory group (Appendix) appointed by the National Radiological Protection Board recommends some modifications to the original advice given in 1981 (NRPB, 1981). The principal modifications are that: (1) It is no longer considered necessary to exclude volunteers with a history of epilepsy or cardiac disease. (2) It is not obligatory that a registered medical practitioner trained in resuscitation techniques be present during an exposure. (3) Higher limits are recommended for rates of change of magnetic flux density when the period of change is less than 10 ms. (4) The radiofrequency limit of 15 MHz has been removed. Theoretical considerations indicate that the interaction of an applied magnetic field with the intrinsic magnetic moments of protons and electrons within a molecule could alter its rate of chemical reaction (McLauchlan, 1981). Chemical reactions involving radical pair intermediates are expected to be sensitive to magnetic fields for this reason and a number of enzyme reactions that might be expected to be affected have been identified (A. Cass, personal communication). However, there is no experimental confirmation of these theoretical possibilities at present.

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PreambleThe Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and professional organization founded in 1954 to promote the science, technology, and practical application of nuclear medicine. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is a professional non-profit medical association that facilitates communication worldwide between individuals pursuing clinical and research excellence in nuclear medicine. The EANM was founded in 1985. The merged International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) is an international, nonprofit, scientific association whose purpose is to promote communication, research, development, and applications in the field of magnetic resonance in medicine and biology and other related topics and to develop and provide channels and facilities for continuing education in the field.The ISMRM was founded in 1994 through the merger of the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and the Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. SNMMI, ISMRM, and EANM members are physicians, technologists, and scientists specializing in the research and practice of nuclear medicine and/or magnetic resonance imaging.The SNMMI, ISMRM, and EANM will periodically define new guidelines for nuclear medicine practice to help advance the science of nuclear medicine and/or magnetic resonance imaging and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the world. Existing practice guidelines will be reviewed for revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner, if indicated. Each practice guideline, representing a policy statement by the SNMMI/EANM/ISMRM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review. The SNMMI, ISMRM, and EANM recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging and magnetic resonance imaging requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guideline by those entities not providing these services is not authorized.These guidelines are an educational tool designed to assist practitioners in providing appropriate care for patients. They are not inflexible rules or requirements of practice and are not intended, nor should they be used, to establish a legal standard of care. For these reasons and those set forth below, the SNMMI, the ISMRM, and the EANM caution against the use of these guidelines in litigation in which the clinical decisions of a practitioner are called into question.The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific procedure or course of action must be made by the physician or medical physicist in light of all the circumstances presented. Thus, there is no implication that an approach differing from the guidelines, standing alone, is below the standard of care. To the contrary, a conscientious practitioner may responsibly adopt a course of action different from that set forth in the guidelines when, in the reasonable judgment of the practitioner, such course of action is indicated by the condition of the patient, limitations of available resources, or advances in knowledge or technology subsequent to publication of the guidelines.The practice of medicine includes both the art and the science of the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, and treatment of disease. The variety and complexity of human conditions make it impossible to always reach the most appropriate diagnosis or to predict with certainty a particular response to treatment.Therefore, it should be recognized that adherence to these guidelines will not ensure an accurate diagnosis or a successful outcome. All that should be expected is that the practitioner will follow a reasonable course of action based on current knowledge, available resources, and the needs of the patient to deliver effective and safe medical care. The sole purpose of these guidelines is to assist practitioners in achieving this objective.

PurposeTo demonstrate the feasibility of imaging the first passage of a bolus of hyperpolarized 13C urea through the rodent heart using flow‐sensitizing gradients to reduce signal from the blood pool.MethodsA flow‐sensitizing bipolar gradient was optimized to reduce the bright signal within the cardiac chambers, enabling improved contrast of the agent within the tissue capillary bed. The gradient was incorporated into a dynamic golden angle spiral 13C imaging sequence. Healthy rats were scanned during rest (n = 3) and under adenosine stress‐induced hyperemia (n = 3).ResultsA two‐fold increase in myocardial perfusion relative to rest was detected during adenosine stress‐induced hyperemia, consistent with a myocardial perfusion reserve of two in rodents.ConclusionThe new pulse sequence was used to obtain dynamic images of the first passage of hyperpolarized 13C urea in the rodent heart, without contamination from bright signal within the neighboring cardiac lumen. This probe of myocardial perfusion is expected to enable new hyperpolarized 13C studies in which the cardiac metabolism/perfusion mismatch can be identified. Magn Reson Med, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Magn Reson Med 75:1474–1483, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance.

PurposeTo perform in vivo isotropic‐resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of lumbosacral and sciatic nerves with a phase‐navigated diffusion‐prepared (DP) 3D turbo spin echo (TSE) acquisition and modified reconstruction incorporating intershot phase‐error correction and to investigate the improvement on image quality and diffusion quantification with the proposed phase correction.MethodsPhase‐navigated DP 3D TSE included magnitude stabilizers to minimize motion and eddy‐current effects on the signal magnitude. Phase navigation of motion‐induced phase errors was introduced before readout in 3D TSE. DTI of lower back nerves was performed in vivo using 3D TSE and single‐shot echo planar imaging (ss‐EPI) in 13 subjects. Diffusion data were phase‐corrected per k z plane with respect to T2‐weighted data. The effects of motion‐induced phase errors on DTI quantification was assessed for 3D TSE and compared with ss‐EPI.ResultsNon–phase‐corrected 3D TSE resulted in artifacts in diffusion‐weighted images and overestimated DTI parameters in the sciatic nerve (mean diffusivity [MD] = 2.06 ± 0.45). Phase correction of 3D TSE DTI data resulted in reductions in all DTI parameters (MD = 1.73 ± 0.26) of statistical significance (P ≤ 0.001) and in closer agreement with ss‐EPI DTI parameters (MD = 1.62 ± 0.21).ConclusionDP 3D TSE with phase correction allows distortion‐free isotropic diffusion imaging of lower back nerves with robustness to motion‐induced artifacts and DTI quantification errors. Magn Reson Med 80:609–618, 2018. © 2018 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

PurposeTo develop and characterize a new paramagnetic contrast agent for molecular imaging by MRI.MethodsA contrast agent was developed for direct MRI detection through the paramagnetically shifted proton magnetic resonances of two chemically equivalent tert‐butyl reporter groups within a dysprosium(III) complex. The complex was characterized in phantoms and imaged in physiologically intact mice at 7 Tesla (T) using three‐dimensional (3D) gradient echo and spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) sequences to measure spatial distribution and signal frequency.ResultsThe reporter protons reside ∼6.5 Å from the paramagnetic center, resulting in fast T1 relaxation (T1 = 8 ms) and a large paramagnetic frequency shift exceeding 60 ppm. Fast relaxation allowed short scan repetition times with high excitation flip angle, resulting in high sensitivity. The large dipolar shift allowed direct frequency selective excitation and acquisition of the dysprosium(III) complex, independent of the tissue water signal. The biokinetics of the complex were followed in vivo with a temporal resolution of 62 s following a single, low‐dose intravenous injection. The lower concentration limit for detection was ∼23 μM. Through MRSI, the temperature dependence of the paramagnetic shift (0.28 ppm.K−1) was exploited to examine tissue temperature variation.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate a new MRI agent with the potential for physiological monitoring by MRI. Magn Reson Med 77:1307–1317, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PurposePhosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P‐MRS) provides a unique tool for assessing cardiac energy metabolism, often quantified using the phosphocreatine (PCr)/adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ratio. Surface coils are typically used for excitation for 31P‐MRS, but they create an inhomogeneous excitation field across the myocardium, producing undesirable, spatially varying partial saturation. Therefore, we implemented adiabatic excitation in a 3D chemical shift imaging (CSI) sequence for cardiac 31P‐MRS at 7 Tesla (T).MethodsWe optimized an adiabatic half passage pulse with bandwidth sufficient to excite PCr and γ‐ATP together. In addition, the CSI sequence was modified to allow interleaved excitation of PCr and γ‐ATP, then 2,3‐DPG, to enable PCr/ATP determination with blood correction. Nine volunteers were scanned at 2 transmit voltages to confirm that measured PCr/ATP was independent of B1+ (i.e. over the adiabatic threshold). Six septal voxels were evaluated for each volunteer.ResultsPhantom experiments showed that adiabatic excitation can be reached at the depth of the heart using our pulse. The mean evaluated cardiac PCr/ATP ratio from all 9 volunteers corrected for blood signal was 2.14 ± 0.16. Comparing the two acquisitions with different voltages resulted in a minimal mean difference of −0.005.ConclusionAdiabatic excitation is possible in the human heart at 7 T, and gives consistent PCr/ATP ratios. Magn Reson Med 78:1667–1673, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PurposeDynamic magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of hyperpolarized 13C‐labeled cell substrates has enabled the investigation of tissue metabolism in vivo. Currently observation of these hyperpolarized substrates is limited mainly to 13C detection. We describe here an imaging pulse sequence that enables proton observation by using polarization transfer from the hyperpolarized 13C nucleus to spin‐coupled protons.MethodsThe pulse sequence transfers 13C hyperpolarization to 1H using a modified reverse insensitive nuclei enhanced by polarization transfer (INEPT) sequence that acquires a fully refocused echo. The resulting hyperpolarized 1H signal is acquired using a 2D echo‐planar trajectory. The efficiency of polarization transfer was investigated using simulations with and without T1 and T2 relaxation of both the 1H and 13C nuclei.ResultsSimulations showed that 1H detection of the hyperpolarized 13C nucleus in lactate should increase significantly the signal‐to‐noise ratio when compared with direct 13C detection at 3T. However the advantage of 1H detection is expected to disappear at higher fields. Dynamic 1H images of hyperpolarized [1‐13C]lactate, with a spatial resolution of 1.25 × 1.25 mm2, were acquired from a phantom injected with hyperpolarized [1‐13C]lactate and from tumors in vivo following injection of hyperpolarized [1‐13C]pyruvate.ConclusionsThe sequence allows 1H imaging of hyperpolarized 13C‐labeled substrates in vivo. Magn Reson Med 79:741–747, 2018. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PurposeTo develop and evaluate a novel two‐dimensional self‐gated imaging technique for free‐breathing cardiac cine MRI that is free of motion‐detection overhead and requires minimal planning for motion tracking.MethodsMotion along the readout direction was extracted solely from normal Cartesian imaging readouts near ky = 0. During imaging, the readouts below a certain |ky| threshold were scaled in magnitude and filtered in time to form “pseudo‐projections,” enabling projection‐based motion tracking along readout without frequently acquiring the central phase encode. A discrete golden step phase encode scheme allowed the |ky| threshold to be freely set after the scan while maintaining uniform motion sampling.ResultsThe pseudo‐projections stream displayed sufficient spatiotemporal resolution for both cardiac and respiratory tracking, allowing retrospective reconstruction of free‐breathing non‐electrocardiogram (ECG) cines. The technique was tested on healthy subjects, and the resultant image quality, measured by blood‐myocardium boundary sharpness, myocardial mass, and single‐slice ejection fraction was found to be comparable to standard breath‐hold ECG‐gated cines.ConclusionThe use of pseudo‐projections for motion tracking was found feasible for cardiorespiratory self‐gated imaging. Despite some sensitivity to flow and eddy currents, the simplicity of acquisition makes the proposed technique a valuable tool for self‐gated cardiac imaging. Magn Reson Med 76:417–429, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

PERISTALSIS, SEGMENTATION, AND THE MYENTERIC REFLEX

Magnetic Resonance in MedicineVolume 17, Issue 2 p. X-X Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Magnetic Resonance in Medicine First published: February 1991 https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.1910170229AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume17, Issue2February 1991Pages X-X RelatedInformation

PurposePhosphorus (31P) metabolites are emerging liver disease biomarkers. Of particular interest are phosphomonoester and phosphodiester (PDE) “peaks” that comprise multiple overlapping resonances in 31P spectra. This study investigates the effect of improved spectral resolution at 7 Tesla (T) on quantifying hepatic metabolites in cirrhosis.MethodsFive volunteers were scanned to determine metabolite T1s. Ten volunteers and 11 patients with liver cirrhosis were scanned at 7T. Liver spectra were acquired in 28 min using a 16‐channel 31P array and 3D chemical shift imaging. Concentrations were calculated using γ‐adenosine‐triphosphate (γ‐ATP) = 2.65 mmol/L wet tissue.ResultsT1 means ± standard deviations: phosphatidylcholine 1.05 ± 0.28 s, nicotinamide‐adenine‐dinucleotide (NAD+) 2.0 ± 1.0 s, uridine‐diphosphoglucose (UDPG) 3.3 ± 1.4 s. Concentrations in healthy volunteers: α‐ATP 2.74 ± 0.11 mmol/L wet tissue, inorganic phosphate 2.23 ± 0.20 mmol/L wet tissue, glycerophosphocholine 2.34 ± 0.46 mmol/L wet tissue, glycerophosphoethanolamine 1.50 ± 0.28 mmol/L wet tissue, phosphocholine 1.06 ± 0.16 mmol/L wet tissue, phosphoethanolamine 0.77 ± 0.14 mmol/L wet tissue, NAD+ 2.37 ± 0.14 mmol/L wet tissue, UDPG 2.00 ± 0.22 mmol/L wet tissue, phosphatidylcholine 1.38 ± 0.31 mmol/L wet tissue. Inorganic phosphate and phosphatidylcholine concentrations were significantly lower in patients; glycerophosphoethanolamine concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05).ConclusionWe report human in vivo hepatic T1s for phosphatidylcholine, NAD+, and UDPG for the first time at 7T. Our protocol allows high signal‐to‐noise, repeatable measurement of metabolite concentrations in human liver. The splitting of PDE into its constituent peaks at 7T may allow more insight into changes in metabolism. Magn Reson Med 78:2095–2105, 2017. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PurposeEcho planar imaging is an attractive rapid imaging readout that can image hyperpolarized compounds in vivo. By alternating the sign of the phase encoding gradient waveform, spatial offsets arising from uncertain frequency shifts can be determined. We show here that blip‐reversed echo planar imaging can also be used to correct for susceptibility and B0 inhomogeneity effects that would otherwise produce image‐domain distortion in the heart.MethodsPreviously acquired blip‐reversed cardiac 3D‐Spectral‐Spatial echo planar imaging volumetric timecourses of hyperpolarized [1‐13C]pyruvate were distortion corrected by a deformation field estimated by reconstructing signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR)‐weighted progressively subsampled temporally summed images of each metabolite.ResultsReconstructing blip‐reversed data as proposed produced volumetric timecourses that overlaid with proton reference images more consistently than without such corrections.ConclusionThe method proposed may form an attractive method to correct for image‐domain distortions in hyperpolarized echo planar imaging experiments. Magn Reson Med 79:2135–2141, 2018. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PurposeTo demonstrate the feasibility of mapping intracellular pH within the in vivo rodent heart. Alterations in cardiac acid‐base balance can lead to acute contractile depression and alterations in Ca2+ signaling. The transient reduction in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) consumption and cardiac contractility may be initially beneficial; however, sustained pH changes can be maladaptive, leading to myocardial damage and electrical arrhythmias.MethodsSpectrally selective radiofrequency (RF) pulses were used to excite the HCO3− and CO2 resonances individually while preserving signal from the injected hyperpolarized [1‐13C]pyruvate. The large flip angle pulses were placed within a three‐dimensional (3D) imaging acquisition, which exploited CA‐mediated label exchange between HCO3− and CO2. Images at 4.5 × 4.5 × 5 mm3 resolution were obtained in the in vivo rodent heart. The technique was evaluated in healthy rodents scanned at baseline and during high cardiac workload induced by dobutamine infusion.ResultsThe intracellular pH was measured to be 7.15 ± 0.04 at baseline, and decreased to 6.90 ± 0.06 following 15 min of continuous β‐adrenergic stimulation.ConclusionsVolumetric maps of intracellular pH can be obtained following an injection of hyperpolarized [1‐13C]pyruvate. The new method is anticipated to enable assessment of stress‐inducible ischemia and potential ventricular arrythmogenic substrates within the ischemic heart. Magn Reson Med 77:1810–1817, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.