Probing chemical exchange using quantitative spin-lock R1? asymmetry imaging with adiabatic RF pulses.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:CEST is commonly used to probe the effects of chemical exchange. Although R1? asymmetry quantification has also been described as a promising option for detecting the effects of chemical exchanges, the existing acquisition approaches are highly susceptible to B1 RF and B0 field inhomogeneities. To address this problem, we report a new R1? asymmetry imaging approach, AC-iTIP, which is based on the previously reported techniques of irradiation with toggling inversion preparation (iTIP) and adiabatic continuous wave constant amplitude spin-lock RF pulses (ACCSL). We also derived the optimal spin-lock RF pulse B1 amplitude that yielded the greatest R1? asymmetry. METHODS:Bloch-McConnell simulations were used to verify the analytical formula derived for the optimal spin-lock RF pulse B1 amplitude. The performance of the AC-iTIP approach was compared to that of the iTIP approach based on hard RF pulses and the R1? -spectrum acquired using adiabatic RF pulses with the conventional fitting method. Comparisons were performed using Bloch-McConnell simulations, phantom, and in vivo experiments at 3.0T. RESULTS:The analytical prediction of the optimal B1 was validated. Compared to the other 2 approaches, the AC-iTIP approach was more robust under the influences of B1 RF and B0 field inhomogeneities. A linear relationship was observed between the measured R1? asymmetry and the metabolite concentration. CONCLUSION:The AC-iTIP approach could probe the chemical exchange effect more robustly than the existing R1? asymmetry acquisition approaches. Therefore, AC-iTIP is a promising technique for metabolite imaging based on the chemical exchange effect.

SUBMITTER: Jiang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6993944 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature