Hyperpolarized 129 Xe multi-slice imaging of the human brain using a 3D gradient echo pulse sequence.

Abstract

To demonstrate the possibility of performing multi-slice in-vivo human brain MRI using hyperpolarized (HP) xenon-129 (129 Xe) in two different orientations and to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Two healthy female participants were imaged during a single breath-hold of HP 129 Xe using a Philips Achieva 3.0T MRI scanner (Philips, Andover, MA). Each HP 129 Xe multi-slice brain image was acquired during separate HP 129 Xe breath-holds using 3D gradient echo (GRE) imaging. The acquisition started 10 s after the inhalation of 1 L of HP 129 Xe. Overall, four sagittal and three axial images were acquired (seven imaging sessions per participant). The SNR was calculated for each slice in both orientations. The first ever HP 129 Xe multi-slice images of the brain were acquired in axial and sagittal orientations. The HP 129 Xe signal distribution correlated well with the gray matter distribution. The highest SNR values were close in the axial and sagittal orientations (19.46 ± 3.25 and 18.76 ± 4.94, respectively). Additionally, anatomical features, such as the ventricles, were observed in both orientations. The possibility of using multi-slice HP 129 Xe human brain magnetic resonance imaging was demonstrated for the first time. HP 129 Xe multi-slice MRI can be implemented for brain imaging to improve current diagnostic methods.