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High‐resolution anatomic, diffusion tensor, and magnetization transfer magnetic resonance imaging of the optic chiasm at 3T
Author(s) -
Vinogradov Elena,
Degenhardt Alexandra,
Smith Derek,
Marquis Robert,
Vartanian Timothy K.,
Kinkel Philip,
Maier Stephan E.,
Hackney David B.,
Lenkinski Robert E.
Publication year - 2005
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.20370
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance imaging , diffusion mri , nuclear magnetic resonance , magnetization transfer , optic chiasm , resolution (logic) , materials science , diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging , physics , medicine , radiology , optic nerve , anatomy , computer science , artificial intelligence
Purpose To evaluate techniques for anatomical and physiological imaging of the intracranial optic nerve (ON), optic chiasm (OC), and optic tract (OT) at 3T with the aim of visualizing axonal damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). Materials and Methods Imaging was performed on a 3T scanner employing a custom‐designed head coil that consisted of a coil array with four coils (30 × 30 cm 2 ). Oblique fast spin echo (FSE) images, magnetization transfer (MT)‐enhanced 3D gradient‐echo (GRE) time‐of‐flight (TOF) images, and line scan diffusion images (LSDI) were obtained. Full diffusion tensor (DT) analysis was performed, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), and fiber direction maps were obtained. Results FSE anatomic images were obtained with an in‐plane resolution of 0.39 × 0.52 mm 2 . The in‐plane resolution of the MT and LSDI images was 0.78 × 0.78 mm 2 . The OC, intracranial ON, and OT can be seen on these images. The dominant fiber orientations in the OC, ON, and OT, as derived from the DT images, are displayed. Conclusion This study shows that by using 3T and a custom‐designed, four‐channel head coil, it is possible to acquire high‐resolution anatomical and physiological images of the OC, ON, and OT. The pilot results presented here pave the way for imaging the anterior visual pathway in patients with MS. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005;22:302–306. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.