Sparse spectral deconvolution algorithm for noncartesian MR spectroscopic imaging

Purpose To minimize line shape distortions and spectral leakage artifacts in MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). Methods A spatially and spectrally regularized non‐Cartesian MRSI algorithm that uses the line shape distortion priors, estimated from water reference data, to deconvolve the spectra is introduced. Sparse spectral regularization is used to minimize noise amplification associated with deconvolution. A spiral MRSI sequence that heavily oversamples the central k‐space regions is used to acquire the MRSI data. The spatial regularization term uses the spatial supports of brain and extracranial fat regions to recover the metabolite spectra and nuisance signals at two different resolutions. Specifically, the nuisance signals are recovered at the maximum resolution to minimize spectral leakage, while the point spread functions of metabolites are controlled to obtain acceptable signal‐to‐noise ratio. Results The comparisons of the algorithm against Tikhonov regularized reconstructions demonstrates considerably reduced line‐shape distortions and improved metabolite maps. Conclusion The proposed sparsity constrained spectral deconvolution scheme is effective in minimizing the line‐shape distortions. The dual resolution reconstruction scheme is capable of minimizing spectral leakage artifacts. Magn Reson Med 71:469–476, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.