Multislab 3D Research Articles

High-resolution whole-brain diffusion MRI at 3T using simultaneous multi-slab (SMSlab) acquisition

High-resolution diffusion MRI (dMRI) is a crucial tool in neuroscience studies to detect fine fiber structure, depict complex fiber architecture and analyze cortical anisotropy. However, high-resolution dMRI is limited by its intrinsically low SNR due to diffusion attenuation. A series of techniques have been proposed to improve the SNR performance, but most of them are at the cost of long scan time, which in turn sacrifice the SNR efficiency, especially for large FOV imaging, such as whole-brain imaging. Recently, a combination of 3D multi-slab acquisition and simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) excitation, namely simultaneous multi-slab (SMSlab), has been demonstrated to have potential for high-resolution diffusion imaging with high SNR and SNR efficiency. In our previous work, we have proposed a 3D Fourier encoding and reconstruction framework for SMSlab acquisition. In this study, we extend this 3D k-space framework to diffusion imaging, by developing a novel navigator acquisition strategy and exploring a k-space-based phase correction method. In vivo brain data are acquired using the proposed SMSlab method and compared with a series of different acquisitions, including the traditional 3D multi-slab, 2D SMS and 2D single-shot EPI (ss-EPI) acquisitions. The results demonstrate that SMSlab has a better SNR performance compared with 3D multi-slab and 2D SMS. The detection capacity of fine fiber structures is improved using SMSlab, compared with the low-resolution diffusion imaging using conventional 2D ss-EPI.

3D-MB-MUSE: A robust 3D multi-slab, multi-band and multi-shot reconstruction approach for ultrahigh resolution diffusion MRI

Recent advances in achieving ultrahigh spatial resolution (e.g. sub-millimeter) diffusion MRI (dMRI) data have proven highly beneficial in characterizing tissue microstructures in organs such as the brain. However, the routine acquisition of in-vivo dMRI data at such high spatial resolutions has been largely prohibited by factors that include prolonged acquisition times, motion induced artifacts, and low SNR. To overcome these limitations, we present here a framework for acquiring and reconstructing 3D multi-slab, multi-band and interleaved multi-shot EPI data, termed 3D-MB-MUSE. Through multi-band excitations, the simultaneous acquisition of multiple 3D slabs enables whole brain dMRI volumes to be acquired in-vivo on a 3 T clinical MRI scanner at high spatial resolution within a reasonably short amount of time. Representing a true 3D model, 3D-MB-MUSE reconstructs an entire 3D multi-band, multi-shot dMRI slab at once while simultaneously accounting for coil sensitivity variations across the slab as well as motion induced artifacts commonly associated with both 3D and multi-shot diffusion imaging. Such a reconstruction fully preserves the SNR advantages of both 3D and multi-shot acquisitions in high resolution dMRI images by removing both motion and aliasing artifacts across multiple dimensions. By enabling ultrahigh resolution dMRI for routine use, the 3D-MB-MUSE framework presented here may prove highly valuable in both clinical and research applications.

Sliding-slab three-dimensional TSE imaging with a spiral-In/Out readout.

T2 -weighted imaging is of great diagnostic value in neuroimaging. Three-dimensional (3D) Cartesian turbo spin echo (TSE) scans provide high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contiguous slice coverage. The purpose of this preliminary work is to implement a novel 3D spiral TSE technique with image quality comparable to 2D/3D Cartesian TSE. The proposed technique uses multislab 3D TSE imaging. To mitigate the slice boundary artifacts, a sliding-slab method is extended to spiral imaging. A spiral-in/out readout is adopted to minimize the artifacts that may be present with the conventional spiral-out readout. Phase errors induced by B0 eddy currents are measured and compensated to allow for the combination of the spiral-in and spiral-out images. A nonuniform slice encoding scheme is used to reduce the truncation artifacts while preserving the SNR performance. Preliminary results show that each of the individual measures contributes to the overall performance, and the image quality of the results obtained with the proposed technique is, in general, comparable to that of 2D or 3D Cartesian TSE. 3D sliding-slab TSE with a spiral-in/out readout provides good-quality T2 -weighted images, and, therefore, may become a promising alternative to Cartesian TSE.

On the signal‐to‐noise ratio efficiency and slab‐banding artifacts in three‐dimensional multislab diffusion‐weighted echo‐planar imaging

Three-dimensional (3D) multislab diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging (EPI) has been suggested as an alternative for high-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging. In this work, the key components of the sequence are investigated, optimal scan parameter settings suggested, and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) analysis, comparing 2D diffusion-weighted EPI and 3D multislab diffusion-weighted EPI, is performed. Slab profiles were measured using 3D multislab EPI to investigate slab profile saturation effects with respect to TR, T1 and overlap between slabs. For short TR values, two methods to reduce the slab banding artifacts are proposed. Moreover, the SNR for 2D and 3D multislab (3D-MS) DWI have been simulated for various anatomical coverages and slab thicknesses. Simulated 3D multislab scans were shown to be more SNR-efficient than a corresponding 2D scan, for all investigated anatomical coverages and slab thicknesses. Slab banding artifacts being negligible for long repetition times (TRs) were strong for a TR of 2000 ms, proving that they stem from T1 -saturation effects. This banding was largely reduced by the suggested correction methods. In the low TR regime, T1 -saturation effects between adjacent slabs need to be taken in consideration to avoid slab-banding artifacts for multislab sequences. With the proposed correction methods the difference between the SNR-optimal TR and the TR where slab-banding artifacts become acceptable is reduced.

3D multislab, multishot acquisition for fast, whole‐brain MR elastography with high signal‐to‐noise efficiency

To develop an acquisition scheme for generating MR elastography (MRE) displacement data with whole-brain coverage, high spatial resolution, and adequate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in a short scan time. A 3D multislab, multishot acquisition for whole-brain MRE with 2.0 mm isotropic spatial resolution is proposed. The multislab approach allowed for the use of short repetition time to achieve very high SNR efficiency. High SNR efficiency allowed for a reduced acquisition time of only 6 min while the minimum SNR needed for inversion was maintained. The mechanical property maps estimated from whole-brain displacement data with nonlinear inversion (NLI) demonstrated excellent agreement with neuroanatomical features, including the cerebellum and brainstem. A comparison with an equivalent 2D acquisition illustrated the improvement in SNR efficiency of the 3D multislab acquisition. The flexibility afforded by the high SNR efficiency allowed for higher resolution with a 1.6 mm isotropic voxel size, which generated higher estimates of brainstem stiffness compared with the 2.0 mm isotropic acquisition. The acquisition presented allows for the capture of whole-brain MRE displacement data in a short scan time, and may be used to generate local mechanical property estimates of neuroanatomical features throughout the brain.

Diffusion‐weighted 3D multislab echo planar imaging for high signal‐to‐noise ratio efficiency and isotropic image resolution

To acquire isotropic high-resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) efficient, 3D encoded diffusion-weighted MRI data. Multiple Fourier encoded slabs were combined into one full volume, using a generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions (GRAPPA) accelerated diffusion-weighted 3D multislab echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence with 2D phase navigation and in-plane motion correction. Reconstructed data with 1.5-mm(3) nominal resolution is presented and shown under the influence of motion and with variable slab thicknesses. The SNR efficiency between diffusion-weighted 3D multislab EPI and DW 2D ss-EPI is compared. Finally, a 1.3-mm(3) full brain scan with 45 diffusion directions is presented. Diffusion-weighted 3D multislab EPI has been presented as an alternative sequence for high-resolution and high-SNR full brain coverage diffusion studies. Compared with the gold standard 2D diffusion-weighted single-shot Echo Planar Imaging, the SNR efficiency is significantly higher.

Comparison of 2D and multislab 3D magnetic resonance techniques for measuring carotid wall volumes

To compare a multislab three-dimensional volume-selective fast spin-echo (FSE) magnetic resonance (MR) sequence with a routine two-dimensional FSE sequence for quantification of carotid wall volume. One hundred normal subjects (50 men, mean age 44.6 years) underwent carotid vessel wall MR using 2D and 3D techniques. Carotid artery total vessel volume, lumen volume, wall volume, and wall/outer wall (W/OW) ratio were measured over 20 contiguous slices. Two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) results were compared. The mean difference between 2D and 3D datasets (as a percentage of the mean absolute value) was 1.7% for vessel volume, 4.9% for lumen volume, 4.7% for wall volume, and 5.8% for W/OW ratio. There was good correlation between 2D and 3D models for total vessel volume (R(2) = 0.93, P < 0.001), lumen area (R(2) = 0.92, P < 0.001), and wall volume (R(2) = 0.77, P < 0.001). The correlation for the W/OW ratio was weaker (R(2) = 0.30; P < 0.001). The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the 3D technique was 2.1-fold greater than for the 2D technique (P < 0.001). When using the 3D sequence, scan time was reduced by 63%. Multislab volume selective 3D FSE carotid arterial wall imaging performs similarly to a conventional 2D technique, but with over twice the SNR and substantially reduced scan time.

2129 Comparison of 2D and multi-slab 3D magnetic resonance techniques for measuring carotid wall volumes

2129 Comparison of 2D and multi-slab 3D magnetic resonance techniques for measuring carotid wall volumes

Intracortical Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis: Improved Detection with 3D Double Inversion-Recovery MR Imaging

To prospectively compare the depiction of intracortical lesions by using multislab three-dimensional (3D) double inversion-recovery (DIR), multislab 3D fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR), and T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients with multiple sclerosis. Local ethics review board approval and informed consent were obtained. Conventional T2-weighted SE and multislab 3D FLAIR and DIR images were acquired in 10 patients with multiple sclerosis (five women, five men) and 11 age-matched healthy control subjects (seven women, four men). Mean age was 40 years (range, 25-54 years) in patients and 34 years (range, 24-55 years) in control subjects. Lesions were classified according to seven anatomic regions: intracortical, mixed white matter-gray matter, juxtacortical, deep gray matter, periventricular white matter, deep white matter, and infratentorial lesions. The numbers of lesions per category were compared between techniques (Dunnett-corrected analysis of variance). Gain or loss (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of numbers of lesions detected at 3D DIR imaging was calculated in comparison with those detected at T2-weighted SE and 3D FLAIR imaging. Total number of lesions did not differ between 3D DIR and 3D FLAIR sequences, but the 3D DIR sequence showed a gain of 21% (95% CI: 4%, 41%) in comparison with the T2-weighted SE sequence. Because of high gray matter-white matter contrast, DIR images depicted more intracortical lesions (80 lesions in 10 patients) than both SE (10 lesions) and FLAIR (31 lesions) images; gains with DIR were 538% (95% CI: 191%, 1297%) and 152% (95% CI: 15%, 453%) compared with SE and FLAIR, respectively. Only four intracortical lesions were detected in control subjects. Also, DIR imaging enabled a better definition of mixed white matter-gray matter lesions because of greater contrast between the lesion and its surroundings. MR imaging with 3D DIR enables increased intracortical lesion detection in the multiple sclerosis brain, as well as improved distinction between juxtacortical and white matter-gray matter lesions.

The value of MR angiography techniques in the detection of head and neck paragangliomas

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare three-dimensional phase-contrast angiography (3D PCA), 2D time-of-flight (2D TOF), and 3D TOF magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and a proton density weighted technique in terms of their ability to detect head and neck paragangliomas. Materials and methods: 14 patients with 29 paragangliomas were examined at 1.5 T. Three MR angiography sequences (3D PCA, 2D TOF, and multi-slab 3D TOF) and a proton density (PD) weighted sequence were reviewed by four neuroradiologists. The gold standard was digital subtraction angiography. Presence of tumor was assessed in five grades of confidence. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated after dichotomizing the results. Data was analyzed using the logistic regression method. Results: Mean sensitivity and specificity for the four observers were for PD: 72%/97%, for 3D PCA: 75%/90%, for 2D TOF: 66%/93%, and for 3D TOF: 90%/92%. Sensitivity was significantly better for 3D TOF MRA ( P<0.001). No substantial between-observer variation for tumor detection was present. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that, using 3D TOF MRA, paragangliomas in the head and neck region can be detected with high sensitivity and specificity. Further investigation is necessary to judge the value of 3D TOF MR angiography against fat suppressed contrast enhanced T1 weighted and fat suppressed T2 weighted MR sequences to find the optimal imaging sequence for paragangliomas.

Reduced slab boundary artifact in multi-slab 3D fast spin-echo imaging.

The three-dimensional multi-slab fast spin-echo (3DFSE) sequence is a time-efficient technique for volume scanning which provides images with a good signal-to-noise ratio, adjustable contrast weighting, and high spatial resolution. Unfortunately, it suffers from slice-to-slice amplitude variation associated with imperfect slab definition. This slab boundary artifact becomes especially apparent when multiplanner reformatting is used to create alternate anatomical views. The shifted interleaved multi-volume acquisition (SIMVA) described here suppresses slab boundary artifact in image space. It displaces each slab (RF excitation) position incrementally along the slice (z) axis, in coordination with the primary phase encode step, so that the slab boundary artifact is converted into a correctable amplitude modulation in the primary phase encode direction (k(Y)-axis). After the Fourier transform in primary phase encoding, the slab boundary artifact is mapped into a different and less severe artifact on a different spatial axis. Preliminary measurements show that SIMVA reduces the slab boundary artifact by an order of magnitude in multiplanar reformatted views. Magn Reson Med 44:269-276, 2000.

High resolution GRASE MRI of the brain and spine: 512 and 1024 matrix imaging.

Our goal was to implement 512 and 1024 matrix MRI of the brain in clinically acceptable imaging times. With use of the GRASE (gradient-SE) imaging technique, 3 signals are refocused from each of 16 SEs, giving a total of 48 echoes per echo train, for a speed advantage of 1/48 over conventional SE imaging. Images in 1024 matrices are acquired in 2D Fourier transform (FT) multisectional MRI. In related experiments, multislab 3D FT GRASE imaging is performed using 16 partitions/slab, providing thinner 1 to 2 mm sections. In all imaging experiments, higher spatial resolution is obtained with stronger and faster gradients, 24 mT/m in 625 microseconds rise time, on a standard commercial MRI system. The 2D FT 1024 matrix images of the head were acquired in 4:20 min, with 20 sections and TR/TE 7040/115 ms in a rectangular FOV to obtain .28 x .27 mm2 spatial resolution. Small anatomic structures, including cochlea of inner ear, cranial nerves, and vascular detail, are readily demonstrated. The 512 matrix images were obtained in 4:40 min, with 16 sections and TR/TE 3,500/104 ms in a 24 cm FOV. The 3D FT technique substantially increased slice coverage as well as image signal-to-noise ratio. The results show that 1024 matrix MRI is technically feasible in clinically acceptable imaging time and offers advantage for high resolution imaging. Optimization of 1024 matrix and 3D FT GRASE imaging should improve the delineation of anatomic regions of interest.

Reduction of partial-volume artifacts with zero-filled interpolation in three-dimensional MR angiography.

Partial-volume artifacts reduce vessel contrast and continuity (especially in small vessels) in magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. The authors applied zero-filled (band-limited) interpolation to three-dimensional (3D) MR angiograms to reduce partial-volume artifacts. They demonstrated that zero-filled interpolation can also be implemented by means of voxel shifting in real space. Voxel-shifted interpolation is much less computer memory intensive than conventional zero-filled interpolation. They numerically simulated the contrast loss due to partial-volume artifacts and contrast recovery obtained with zero-filled interpolation. Zero-filled interpolation in all three orthogonal directions was applied to 3D MR angiography data sets from 29 human studies. These studies were obtained with the three commonly used 3D MR angiography techniques: 3D time of flight, multislab 3D time of flight, and 3D phase contrast. A substantial improvement in vessel contrast and vessel continuity was observed in all cases.

MR Angiography for Preoperative Evaluation of Vascularized Fibular Grafts

Two magnetic resonance (MR) angiography pulse sequences, two-dimensional (2D) time of flight (TOF) and multislab three-dimensional (3D) TOF, were compared for ease of application and capability of depicting the arterial trifurcation in candidates for vascularized fibular grafts. Both 2D TOF and multislab 3D TOF MR angiography procedures were performed to image the lower legs of 15 healthy volunteers and six patients. Three radiologists evaluated each study for the number of trifurcation vessels depicted at the knee and at the ankle, the corresponding degree of confidence, and the presence of anatomic variants. All trifurcation vessels were identified at the level of the knee with a high degree of confidence. Usually two vessels could be identified at the ankle with a slightly lower degree of confidence. A higher number of vessels were identified at the ankle with the 2D TOF technique than with the 3D TOF technique. A number of anatomic variants were identified. Anatomy of all six patients was identified correctly and confirmed at surgery. Both 2D TOF and multislab 3D TOF are useful techniques to define the arterial anatomy of the lower leg and have proved valuable in preoperative planning for vascularized grafts. Vessel visualization at the level of the ankle was superior with the 2D TOF technique.

Intracranial MRA

Single volume three-dimensional (3D) time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography is the most commonly used noninvasive method for evaluating the intracranial vasculature. The sensitivity of this technique to signal loss from flow saturation limits its utility. A recently developed multislab 3D TOF technique, MOTSA, is less affected by flow saturation and would therefore be expected to yield improved vessel visualization. To study this hypothesis, intracranial MR angiograms were obtained on 10 volunteers using three techniques: MOTSA, single volume 3D TOF using a standard 4.9 ms TE (3D TOFA), and single volume 3D TOF using a 6.8 ms TE (3D TOFB). All three sets of axial source images and maximum intensity projection (MIP) images were reviewed. Each exam was evaluated for the number of intracranial vessels visualized. A total of 502 vessel segments were studied with each technique. With use of the MIP images, 86% of selected vessels were visualized with MOTSA, 64% with 3D TOFA (TE = 4.9 ms), and 67% with TOFB (TE = 6.8 ms). Similarly, with the axial source images, 91% of selected vessels were visualized with MOTSA, 77% with 3D TOFA (TE = 4.9 ms), and 82% with 3D TOFB (TE = 6.8 ms). There is improved visualization of selected intracranial vessels in normal volunteers with MOTSA as compared with single volume 3D TOF. These improvements are believed to be primarily a result of decreased sensitivity to flow saturation seen with the MOTSA technique. No difference in overall vessel visualization was noted for the two single volume 3D TOF techniques.