Dataset Information

T2-Weighted intracranial vessel wall imaging at 7 Tesla using a DANTE-prepared variable flip angle turbo spin echo readout (DANTE-SPACE).

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To optimize intracranial vessel wall imaging (VWI) at 7T for sharp wall depiction and high boundary contrast.

Methods

A variable flip angle turbo spin echo scheme (SPACE) was optimized for VWI. SPACE provides black-blood contrast, but has less crushing effect on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, a delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) preparation suppresses the signal from slowly moving spins of a few mm per second. Therefore, we optimized a DANTE-preparation module for 7T. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and signal ratio for vessel wall, CSF, and lumen were calculated for SPACE and DANTE-SPACE in 11 volunteers at the middle cerebral artery (MCA). An exemplar MCA stenosis patient was scanned with DANTE-SPACE.

Results

The 7T-optimized SPACE sequence improved the vessel wall point-spread function by 17%. The CNR between the wall and CSF was doubled (12.2 versus 5.6) for the DANTE-SPACE scans compared with the unprepared SPACE. This increase was significant in the right hemisphere (P?=?0.016), but not in the left (P?=?0.090). The CNR between wall and lumen was halved, but remained at a high value (24.9 versus 56.5).

Conclusion

The optimized SPACE sequence improves VWI at 7T. Additional DANTE preparation increases the contrast between the wall and CSF. Increased outer boundary contrast comes at the cost of reduced inner boundary contrast. Magn Reson Med 77:655-663, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

SUBMITTER: Viessmann O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5298018 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

T2-Weighted intracranial vessel wall imaging at 7 Tesla using a DANTE-prepared variable flip angle turbo spin echo readout (DANTE-SPACE).

Viessmann Olivia O Li Linqing L Benjamin Philip P Jezzard Peter P

Magnetic resonance in medicine 20160218 2

<h4>Purpose</h4>To optimize intracranial vessel wall imaging (VWI) at 7T for sharp wall depiction and high boundary contrast.<h4>Methods</h4>A variable flip angle turbo spin echo scheme (SPACE) was optimized for VWI. SPACE provides black-blood contrast, but has less crushing effect on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, a delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) preparation suppresses the signal from slowly moving spins of a few mm per second. Therefore, we optimized a DAN ...[more]

PMID: 26890988

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Project description:BackgroundThe black-blood (BB) technique was developed to suppress the signal from blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to provide improved depiction of vessel walls.PurposeThe aim was to compare three-dimensional turbo spin echo T1-weighted imaging (3D TSE T1WI) with or without two BB techniques (delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation [DANTE], and improved motion-sensitized driven equilibrium [iMSDE]) for high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) of the vessel walls of intracranial arteries.Study typeProspective.PopulationFourteen healthy volunteers who underwent 3D T1WI for examination of intracranial vessel walls.Field strength/sequence3 Tesla, 3D TSE T1WI (SPACE and BrainVIEW) and BB (DANTE and iMSDE).AssessmentSPACE with or without DANTE, and BrainVIEW with or without iMSDE, were acquired in each subject. Two neuroradiologists independently assessed image quality, vessel wall delineation, BB effect, CSF, and acceptability using visual scoring systems, and measured signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in vessel walls, lumen, and CSF, while blinded to the presence and type of BB technique used.Statistical testsRepeated measures ANOVA or Friedman tests were performed for the comparisons, followed by Bonferroni correction.ResultsThe 3T T1WI sequences without BB are significantly superior in vessel wall delineation (P = 0.001). Black CSF scores were lower in SPACE with DANTE than SPACE without DANTE, and in BrainVIEW without iMSDE than SPACE without DANTE (P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in BB effect, image quality, and acceptability between the four 3D T1WI sequences (p > .05). The SNRVessel wall, CNRWall-Lumen, and CNRWall-CSF were higher (all p < .001) on SPACE with and without DANTE than on BrainVIEW with and without iMSDE. SNRLumen were higher (all p < .001) on BrainVIEW with and without iMSDE than on SPACE with and without DANTE. SNRCSF was higher (all p < .001) on BrainVIEW with iMSDE than on SPACE with DANTE.Data conclusionBoth 3D TSE T1WI sequences were acceptable for intracranial vessel wall evaluation, with or without BB techniques. Therefore, BB techniques may not necessarily be required with 3D TSE T1WI with a long ETL and TR (below 1160 ms).

Project description:ObjectivesThe lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) with small diameters of a few hundred microns take origin directly from the high flow middle cerebral artery (MCA), making them especially susceptible to damage (e.g. by hypertension). This study aims to present high resolution (isotropic ∼0.5 mm), black blood MRI for the visualization and characterization of LSAs at both 3 T and 7 T.Materials and methodsT1-weighted 3D turbo spin-echo with variable flip angles (T1w TSE-VFA) sequences were optimized for the visualization of LSAs by performing extended phase graph (EPG) simulations. Twenty healthy volunteers (15 under 35 years old, 5 over 60 years old) were imaged with the T1w TSE-VFA sequences at both 3 T and 7 T. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was quantified, and LSAs were manually segmented using ITK-SNAP. Automated Reeb graph shape analysis was performed to extract features including vessel length and tortuosity. All quantitative metrics were compared between the two field strengths and two age groups using ANOVA.ResultsLSAs can be clearly delineated using optimized 3D T1w TSE-VFA at 3 T and 7 T, and a greater number of LSA branches can be detected compared to those by time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF MRA) at 7 T. The CNR of LSAs was comparable between 7 T and 3 T. T1w TSE-VFA showed significantly higher CNR than TOF MRA at the stem portion of the LSAs branching off the medial middle cerebral artery. The mean vessel length and tortuosity were greater on TOF MRA compared to TSE-VFA. The number of detected LSAs by both TSE-VFA and TOF MRA was significantly reduced in aged subjects, while the mean vessel length measured on 7 T TSE-VFA showed significant difference between the two age groups.ConclusionThe high-resolution black-blood 3D T1w TSE-VFA sequence offers a new method for the visualization and quantification of LSAs at both 3 T and 7 T, which may be applied for a number of pathological conditions related to the damage of LSAs.

Dataset Information

T2-Weighted intracranial vessel wall imaging at 7 Tesla using a DANTE-prepared variable flip angle turbo spin echo readout (DANTE-SPACE).

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

T2-Weighted intracranial vessel wall imaging at 7 Tesla using a DANTE-prepared variable flip angle turbo spin echo readout (DANTE-SPACE).

Similar Datasets

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