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Improved diffusion‐weighted single‐shot echo‐planar imaging (EPI) in stroke using sensitivity encoding (SENSE)
Author(s) -
Bammer Roland,
Keeling Stephen L.,
Augustin Michael,
Pruessmann Klaas P.,
Wolf Roswitha,
Stollberger Rudolf,
Hartung HansPeter,
Fazekas Franz
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.1226
Subject(s) - diffusion , sense (electronics) , echo planar imaging , single shot , stroke (engine) , sensitivity (control systems) , aliasing , image quality , nuclear magnetic resonance , diffusion mri , artificial intelligence , computer science , medicine , mathematics , nuclear medicine , computer vision , magnetic resonance imaging , physics , image (mathematics) , radiology , optics , chemistry , filter (signal processing) , electronic engineering , thermodynamics , engineering
Diffusion‐weighted single‐shot EPI (sshEPI) is one of the most important tools for the diagnostic assessment of stroke patients, but it suffers from well known artifacts. Therefore, sshEPI was combined with SENSitivity Encoding (SENSE) to further increase EPI's potential for stroke imaging. Eight healthy volunteers and a consecutive series of patients ( N = 8) with suspected stroke were examined with diffusion‐weighted SENSE‐sshEPI using different reduction factors (1.0 ≤ R ≤ 3.0). Additionally, a high‐resolution diffusion‐weighted SENSE‐sshEPI scan was included. All examinations were diagnostic and of better quality than conventional sshEPI. No ghostings or aliasing artifacts were discernible, and EPI‐related image distortions were markedly diminished. Chemical shift artifacts and eddy current‐induced image warping were still present, although to a markedly smaller extent. Measured direction‐dependent diffusion‐coefficients and isotropic diffusion values were comparable to previous findings but showed less fluctuation. We have demonstrated the technical feasibility and clinical applicability of diffusion‐weighted SENSE‐sshEPI in patients with subacute stroke. Because of the faster k‐ space traversal, this novel technique is able to reduce typical EPI artifacts and increase spatial resolution while simultaneously remaining insensitive to bulk motion. Magn Reson Med 46:548–554, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.