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Purpose: To compare cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) quantification from Turbo‐QUASAR (quantitative signal targeting with alternating radiofrequency labeling of arterial regions) arterial spin labeling (ASL) and single post‐labeling delay pseudo‐continuous ASL (PCASL). Methods: A model‐based method was developed to quantify CBF and arterial transit time (ATT) from Turbo‐QUASAR, including a correction for magnetization transfer effects caused by the repeated labeling pulses. Simulations were performed to assess the accuracy of the model‐based method. Data from an in vivo experiment conducted on a healthy cohort were retrospectively analyzed to compare the CBF and CVR (induced by acetazolamide) measurement from Turbo‐QUASAR and PCASL on the basis of global and regional differences. The quality of the two ASL data sets was examined using the coefficient of variation (CoV). Results: The model‐based method for Turbo‐QUASAR was accurate for CBF estimation (relative error was 8% for signal‐to‐noise ratio = 5) in simulations if the bolus duration was known. In the in vivo experiment, the mean global CVR estimated by Turbo‐QUASAR and PCASL was between 63% and 64% and not significantly different. Although global CBF values of the two ASL techniques were not significantly different, regional CBF differences were found in deep gray matter in both pre‐ and postacetazolamide conditions. The CoV of Turbo‐QUASAR data was significantly higher than PCASL. Conclusion: Both ASL techniques were effective for quantifying CBF and CVR, despite the regional differences observed. Although CBF estimated from Turbo‐QUASAR demonstrated a higher variability than PCASL, Turbo‐QUASAR offers the advantage of being able to measure and control for variation in ATT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For rapid spatial mapping of gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) at the increased sensitivity and spectral separation for ultra‐high magnetic field strength (7 tesla [T]), an accelerated edited magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging technique was developed and optimized for the human brain at 7 T. Methods: A MEGA‐sLASER sequence was used for GABA editing and volume selection to maximize editing efficiency and minimize chemical shift displacement errors. To accommodate the high bandwidth requirements at 7 T, a single‐shot echo planar readout was used for rapid simultaneous encoding of the temporal dimension and 1 spatial. B0 and B1 field aspects specific for 7 T were studied together with correction procedures, and feasibility of the EPSI MEGA‐sLASER technique was tested in vivo in 5 healthy subjects. Results: Localized edited spectra could be measured in all subjects giving spatial GABA signal distributions over a central brain region, having 45‐ to 50‐Hz spatial intervoxel B0 field variations and up to 30% B1 field deviations. MEGA editing was found unaffected by the B0 inhomogeneities for the optimized sequence. The correction procedures reduced effects of intervoxel B0 inhomogeneities, corrected for spatial editing efficiency variations, and compensated for GABA resonance phase and frequency shifts from subtle motion and acquisition instabilities. The optimized oscillating echo‐planar gradient scheme permitted full spectral acquisition at 7 T and exhibited minimal spectral‐spatial ghosting effects for the selected brain region. Conclusion: The EPSI MEGA‐sLASER technique was shown to provide time‐efficient mapping of regional variations in cerebral GABA in a central volume of interest with spatial B1 and B0 field variations typical for 7 T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional perfusion imaging (RPI) has recently been introduced as a potentially powerful technique to map the perfusion territories of patients with vascular diseases in a fully noninvasive manner. However, this technique suffers from the problems of the transfer insensitive labeling technique upon which it is based. In particular, RPI is very sensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneities, and therefore the definition of the labeled bolus can deteriorate at field strength higher than 1.5 T. Furthermore, the slab-selective triple-pulse postsaturation sequence used originally will also be impaired due to the same problem, rendering RPI unusable at higher field. In this work, an adiabatic-based signal targeting with alternating radiofrequency pulses sequence is proposed as a labeling scheme to solve the problems related to variations in local magnetic field, together with an improved four-pulse water suppression enhanced through T1 effects technique as a presaturation scheme. Magn Reson Med 53:15-21, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]