Simultaneous dual contrast weighting using double echo rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) imaging

Item Type:	Article
Title:	Simultaneous dual contrast weighting using double echo rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) imaging
Creators Name:	Fuchs, K. and Hezel, F. and Klix, S. and Mekle, R. and Wuerfel, J. and Niendorf, T.
Abstract:	PURPOSE: This work proposes a dual contrast rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) variant (2in1-RARE), which provides simultaneous proton density (PD) and T2 * contrast in a single acquisition. THEORY AND METHODS: The underlying concept of 2in1-RARE is the strict separation of spin echoes and stimulated echoes. This approach offers independent weighting of spin echoes and stimulated echoes. 2in1-RARE was evaluated in phantoms including signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and point spread function assessment. 2in1-RARE was benchmarked versus coherent RARE and a split-echo RARE variant. The applicability of 2in1-RARE for brain imaging was demonstrated in a small cohort of healthy subjects (n = 10) and, exemplary, a multiple sclerosis patient at 3 Tesla as a precursor to a broader clinical study. RESULTS: 2in1-RARE enables the simultaneous acquisition of dual contrast weighted images without any significant image degradation and without sacrificing SNR versus split-echo RARE. This translates into a factor of two speed gain over multi-contrast, sequential split-echo RARE. A 15% broadening of the point spread function was observed in 2in1-RARE. T1 relaxation effects during the mixing time can be neglected for brain tissue. CONCLUSION: 2in1-RARE offers simultaneous acquisition of images of anatomical (PD) and functional (T2 ) contrast. It presents an alternative to address scan time constraints frequently encountered during sequential acquisition of T2 or PD-weighted RARE.
Keywords:	Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Spin Echo, Stimulated Echo, Fast Imaging, Susceptibility, Dual Contrast
Source:	Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
ISSN:	0740-3194
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell
Volume:	72
Number:	6
Page Range:	1590-1598
Date:	December 2014
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.25066
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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