A multipurpose, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis-specific, short MRI protocol: A feasibility study in volunteers.

Introduction: Visualization of scoliosis typically requires ionizing radiation (radiography and CT) to visualize bony anatomy. MRI is often additionally performed to screen for neural axis abnormalities. We propose a 14-minutes radiation-free scoliosis-specific MRI protocol, which combines MRI and MRI-based synthetic CT images to visualize soft and osseous structures in one examination.

Indirect H-[C] MRS of the human brain at 7 T using a C-birdcage coil and eight transmit-receive H-dipole antennas with a 32-channel H-receive array.

The neuronal tricarboxylic acid and glutamate/glutamine (Glu/Gln) cycles play important roles in brain function. These processes can be measured in vivo using dynamic H-[C] MRS during administration of C-labeled glucose. Proton-observed carbon-edited (POCE) MRS enhances the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared with direct C-MRS.

Automatic generation of subject-specific finite element models of the spine from magnetic resonance images.

The generation of subject-specific finite element models of the spine is generally a time-consuming process based on computed tomography (CT) images, where scanning exposes subjects to harmful radiation. In this study, a method is presented for the automatic generation of spine finite element models using images from a single magnetic resonance (MR) sequence. The thoracic and lumbar spine of eight adult volunteers was imaged using a 3D multi-echo-gradient-echo sagittal MR sequence.

Feasibility of clinical studies of chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging of prostate cancer at 7 T.

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) has been explored for differentiation between tumour and benign tissue in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. With ultrahigh field strengths such as 7-T, the increase of spectral resolution and sensitivity could allow for selective detection of amide proton transfer (APT) at 3.5 ppm and a group of compounds that resonate at 2 ppm (i.

An RF coil design to enable quintuple nuclear whole-brain MRI.

Purpose: To bring metabolic imaging based on multi-NMR toward practical use from the RF hardware perspective.

Methods: A highly integrated RF coil is designed for whole-brain MRI and MRS targeted to five nuclear species: H, F, P, Na, and C. Dipole antennas and closely loaded local receiver loops are combined in this setup.

In vivo phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of the whole human liver at 7 T using a phosphorus whole-body transmit coil and 16-channel receive array: Repeatability and effects of principal component analysis-based denoising.

Quantitative three-dimensional (3D) imaging of phosphorus ( P) metabolites is potentially a promising technique with which to assess the progression of liver disease and monitor therapy response. However, P magnetic resonance spectroscopy has a low sensitivity and commonly used P surface coils do not provide full coverage of the liver. This study aimed to overcome these limitations by using a P whole-body transmit coil in combination with a 16-channel P receive array at 7 T.

RF Coil Setup for P MRSI in Tongue Cancer at 7 T.

Surgery for tongue cancer often results in a major loss in quality of life. While MRI may be used to minimise the volume of excised tissue, often the full tumour extent is missed. This tumour extent may be detected with metabolic imaging.

A plug-and-play, lightweight, single-axis gradient insert design for increasing spatiotemporal resolution in echo planar imaging-based brain imaging.

The goal of this study was to introduce and evaluate the performance of a lightweight, high-performance, single-axis (z-axis) gradient insert design primarily intended for high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging, and aimed at providing both ease of use and a boost in spatiotemporal resolution. The optimal winding positions of the coil were obtained using a genetic algorithm with a cost function that balanced gradient performance (minimum 0.30 mT/m/A) and field linearity (≥16 cm linear region).

PCA denoising and Wiener deconvolution of P 3D CSI data to enhance effective SNR and improve point spread function.

Purpose: This study evaluates the performance of 2 processing methods, that is, principal component analysis-based denoising and Wiener deconvolution, to enhance the quality of phosphorus 3D chemical shift imaging data.

Methods: Principal component analysis-based denoising increases the SNR while maintaining spectral information. Wiener deconvolution reduces the FWHM of the voxel point spread function, which is increased by Hamming filtering or Hamming-weighted acquisition.

Feasibility of P spectroscopic imaging at 7 T in lung carcinoma patients.

Currently, it is difficult to predict effective therapy response to molecular therapies for the treatment of lung cancer based solely on anatomical images. P MR spectroscopic imaging could provide as a non-invasive method to monitor potential biomarkers for early therapy evaluation, a necessity to improve personalized care and reduce cost. However, surface coils limit the imaging volume in conventional P MRSI.

Field drift correction of proton resonance frequency shift temperature mapping with multichannel fast alternating nonselective free induction decay readouts.

Purpose: To demonstrate that proton resonance frequency shift MR thermometry (PRFS-MRT) acquisition with nonselective free induction decay (FID), combined with coil sensitivity profiles, allows spatially resolved B drift-corrected thermometry.

Methods: Phantom experiments were performed at 1.5T and 3T.

Shortening of apparent transverse relaxation time of inorganic phosphate as a breast cancer biomarker.

Phosphorus MRS offers a non-invasive tool for monitoring cell energy and phospholipid metabolism and can be of additional value in diagnosing cancer and monitoring cancer therapy. In this study, we determined the transverse relaxation times of a number of phosphorous metabolites in a group of breast cancer patients by adiabatic multi-echo spectroscopic imaging at 7 T. The transverse relaxation times of phosphoethanolamine, phosphocholine, inorganic phosphate (P ), glycerophosphocholine and glycerophosphatidylcholine were 184 ± 8 ms, 203 ± 17 ms, 87 ± 8 ms, 240 ± 56 ms and 20 ± 10 ms, respectively.

Improved fat suppression of the breast using discretized frequency shimming.

Purpose: Robust fat suppression is essential in bilateral breast MRI at 7 Tesla. The lack of good fat suppression can result in errors when calculating the enhancement curve from dynamic contrast-enhanced acquisitions. In this work we propose discretized frequency shimming to improve the quality of fat suppression by exploiting the capabilities of a parallel transmit setup.

A comparison of navigators, snap-shot field monitoring, and probe-based field model training for correcting B -induced artifacts in T2*-weighted images at 7 T.

Purpose: To compare methods for estimating B maps used in retrospective correction of high-resolution anatomical images at ultra-high field strength. The B maps were obtained using three methods: (1) 1D navigators and coil sensitivities, (2) field probe (FP) data and a low-order spherical harmonics model, and (3) FP data and a training-based model.

Methods: Data from nine subjects were acquired while they performed activities inducing B field fluctuations.

Erratum to: Dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI at 7T and 3T: an intra-individual comparison study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40064-015-1654-7.].

Dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI at 7T and 3T: an intra-individual comparison study.

The aim of this study is to compare the current state of lesion identification, the BI-RADS classification and the contrast-enhancement behavior at 7T and 3T breast MRI in the same patient group. Twenty-seven patients with thirty suspicious lesions were selected for this prospective study and underwent both 7T and 3T MRI. All examinations were rated by two radiologists (R1 and R2) independently on image quality, lesion identification and BI-RADS classification.

Fat suppression techniques for obtaining high resolution dynamic contrast enhanced bilateral breast MR images at 7T.

Objectives: To compare water selective excitation (WSE) and Dixon fat suppression in the context of high-resolution dynamic contrast enhanced MRI of the breast at 7T.

Methods: Ten healthy volunteers and one patient with a malignant breast lesion were scanned at 7T. The MRI protocol contained 3D T1-weighted gradient echo images obtained with both WSE fat suppression, multi echo Dixon fat suppression, and without fat suppression.

Multiparametric MRI With Dynamic Contrast Enhancement, Diffusion-Weighted Imaging, and 31-Phosphorus Spectroscopy at 7 T for Characterization of Breast Cancer.

Objectives: To describe and to correlate tumor characteristics on multiparametric 7 tesla (T) breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with prognostic characteristics from postoperative histopathology in patients with breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval and written informed consent of 15 women (46-70 years) with 17 malignant lesions were obtained. In this prospective study (March 2013 to March 2014), women were preoperatively scanned using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, diffusion-weighted imaging, and 31-phosphorus spectroscopy (¹³P-MRS).

Measuring motion-induced B0 -fluctuations in the brain using field probes.

Purpose: Fluctuations of the background magnetic field (B0 ) due to body and breathing motion can lead to significant artifacts in brain imaging at ultrahigh field. Corrections based on real-time sensing using external field probes show great potential. This study evaluates different aspects of field interpolation from these probes into the brain which is implicit in such methods.

Radiofrequency configuration to facilitate bilateral breast (31) P MR spectroscopic imaging and high-resolution MRI at 7 Tesla.

Purpose: High-resolution MRI combined with phospholipid detection may improve breast cancer grading. Currently, configurations are optimized for either high-resolution imaging or (31) P spectroscopy. To be able to perform both imaging as well as spectroscopy in a single session, we integrated a (1) H receiver array into a (1) H-(31) P transceiver at 7T.

MRI of the carotid artery at 7 Tesla: quantitative comparison with 3 Tesla.

Purpose: To evaluate the 7 Tesla (T) MRI of the carotid arteries, as quantitatively compared with 3T.

Materials And Methods: The 7T MRI of the carotid arteries was performed in six healthy subjects and in two patients with carotid stenosis. The healthy group was scanned at 3T and at 7T, using current coil setups at both field strengths.