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High resolution in‐vivo DT‐CMR using an interleaved variable density spiral STEAM sequence
Author(s) -
Gorodezky Margarita,
Ferreira Pedro F.,
NiellesVallespin Sonia,
Gatehouse Peter D.,
Pennell Dudley J.,
Scott Andrew D.,
Firmin David N.
Publication year - 2019
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.27504
Subject(s) - spiral (railway) , nuclear magnetic resonance , physics , diffusion mri , magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear medicine , chemistry , materials science , mathematics , medicine , radiology , mathematical analysis
Purpose Diffusion tensor cardiovascular magnetic resonance (DT‐CMR) has a limited spatial resolution. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate high‐resolution DT‐CMR using a segmented variable density spiral sequence with correction for motion, off‐resonance, and T2*‐related blurring. Methods A single‐shot stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) echo‐planar‐imaging (EPI) DT‐CMR sequence at 2.8 × 2.8 × 8 mm 3 and 1.8 × 1.8 × 8 mm 3 was compared to a single‐shot spiral at 2.8 × 2.8 × 8 mm 3 and an interleaved spiral sequence at 1.8 × 1.8 × 8 mm 3 resolution in 10 healthy volunteers at peak systole and diastasis. Motion‐induced phase was corrected using the densely sampled central k‐space data of the spirals. STEAM field maps and T2* measures were obtained using a pair of stimulated echoes each with a double spiral readout, the first used to correct the motion‐induced phase of the second. Results The high‐resolution spiral sequence produced similar DT‐CMR results and quality measures to the standard‐resolution sequence in both cardiac phases. Residual differences in fractional anisotropy and helix angle gradient between the resolutions could be attributed to spatial resolution and/or signal‐to‐noise ratio. Data quality increased after both motion‐induced phase correction and off‐resonance correction, and sharpness increased after T2* correction. The high‐resolution EPI sequence failed to provide sufficient data quality for DT‐CMR reconstruction. Conclusion In this study, an in vivo DT‐CMR acquisition at 1.8 × 1.8 mm 2 in‐plane resolution was demonstrated using a segmented spiral STEAM sequence. Motion‐induced phase and off‐resonance corrections are essential for high‐resolution spiral DT‐CMR. Segmented variable density spiral STEAM was found to be the optimal method for acquiring high‐resolution DT‐CMR data.