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Sodium T 2 * relaxation times in human heart muscle
Author(s) -
Pabst Thomas,
Sandstede Joern,
Beer Meinrad,
Kenn Werner,
Neubauer Stefan,
Hahn Dietbert
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.10046
Subject(s) - relaxation (psychology) , anatomy , nuclear magnetic resonance , cartilage , human muscle , human heart , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , chemistry , cardiology , physics , radiology , skeletal muscle
Purpose To determine sodium transverse relaxation (T 2 *) characteristics for myocardium, blood and cartilage in humans. Methods T 2 * measurements were performed using a 3D ECG‐gated spoiled gradient echo sequence. A 1.5 Tesla clinical scanner and a 23 Na heart surface coil were used to examine eight healthy volunteers. In biological tissue, the sodium 23 nucleus exhibits a two‐component T 2 relaxation due to the spin 3/2 and its quadrupolar nature. The long T 2 * components of normal myocardium, blood, and cartilage were quantified. For myocardium, the T 2 * was determined separately for the septum, anterior wall, lateral wall, and posterior wall. Results The long T 2 * relaxation time components of 13.3 ± 4.3 msec (septum 13.9 ± 3.2 msec, anterior wall 13.8 ± 5.4 msec, lateral wall 11.4 ± 4.1 msec, posterior wall 14.1 ± 3.7 msec), 19.3 ± 3.3 msec, and 10.2 ± 1.6 msec, were significantly different for myocardium, blood, and cartilage, respectively ( P < 0.00001, Friedman's ANOVA). Conclusion Measurement of 23 Na T 2 * relaxation times is feasible for different regions of the human heart muscle, which might be useful for the evaluation of cardiac pathologies. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2002;15:215–218. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.