Journal Article

Whole brain multiparametric mapping in two minutes using a dual-flip-angle stack-of-stars blipped multi-gradient-echo acquisition

She, Huajun, Ding, Zekang, Du, Yiping P., Chen, Quan, Feng, Wenlong

2024

Overview

•A dual-flip-angle blipped multi-gradient-echo (DFA-mGRE) sequence with a stack-of-stars (SOS) trajectory was developed to accelerate the acquisition for fast simultaneous three-dimensional (3D) multiparametric mapping of whole brain myelin water fraction (MWF), T1, proton density (PD), R2*, magnetic susceptibility (QSM), and B1 transmit field (B1+).•A novel joint-sparsity-constrained multicomponent T2*-T1 spectrum estimation (JMSE) algorithm was proposed to improve the quantification of MWF by correcting for the T1 saturation effect and B1+/B1− inhomogeneities.•By integrating the DFA-mGRE SOS sequence, the JMSE algorithm, the tissue-prior-based B1+ estimation algorithm, and the subspace-based reconstruction, our technique can provide robust multiparametric mapping of 3D whole brain MWF, T1, PD, R2*, QSM, and B1+ with a two-minute scan. A new MRI technique is presented for three-dimensional fast simultaneous whole brain mapping of myelin water fraction (MWF), T1, proton density (PD), R2*, magnetic susceptibility (QSM), and B1 transmit field (B1+). Phantom and human (N = 9) datasets were acquired using a dual-flip-angle blipped multi-gradient-echo (DFA-mGRE) sequence with a stack-of-stars (SOS) trajectory. Images were reconstructed using a subspace-based algorithm with a locally low-rank constraint. A novel joint-sparsity-constrained multicomponent T2*-T1 spectrum estimation (JMSE) algorithm is proposed to correct for the T1 saturation effect and B1+/B1− inhomogeneities in the quantification of MWF. A tissue-prior-based B1+ estimation algorithm was adapted for B1 correction in the mapping of T1 and PD. In the phantom study, measurements obtained at an acceleration factor (R) of 12 using prospectively under-sampled SOS showed good consistency (R2 > 0.997) with Cartesian reference for R2*/T1app/M0app. In the in vivo study, results of retrospectively under-sampled SOS with R = 6, 12, 18, showed good quality (structure similarity index measure > 0.95) compared with those of fully-sampled SOS. Besides, results of prospectively under-sampled SOS with R = 12 showed good consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.91) with Cartesian reference for T1/PD/B1+/MWF/QSM/R2*, and good reproducibility (coefficient of variation < 7.0 %) in the test-retest analysis for T1/PD/B1+/MWF/R2*. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of simultaneous whole brain multiparametric mapping with a two-minute scan using the DFA-mGRE SOS sequence, which may overcome a major obstacle for neurological applications of multiparametric MRI.

• Publisher: Elsevier Inc,Elsevier Limited,Elsevier
• Subject: Adult / Algorithms / Brain - diagnostic imaging / Brain mapping / Brain Mapping - methods / Datasets / Feasibility studies / Female / Humans / Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods / Magnetic resonance imaging / Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods / Magnetic susceptibility / Male / Multi-gradient-echo acquisition / Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods / Multiparametric mapping / Myelin / Myelin water fraction / Parkinson's disease / Phantoms, Imaging / Radial stack-of-stars / Sparsity / Subspace-based reconstruction / Water