Optimization of selective inversion recovery magnetization transfer imaging for macromolecular content mapping in the human brain.

Purpose: To optimize a selective inversion recovery (SIR) sequence for macromolecular content mapping in the human brain at 3.0T.

Theory And Methods: SIR is a quantitative method for measuring magnetization transfer (qMT) that uses a low-power, on-resonance inversion pulse. This results in a biexponential recovery of free water signal that can be sampled at various inversion/predelay times (t t ) to estimate a subset of qMT parameters, including the macromolecular-to-free pool-size-ratio (PSR), the R of free water (R ), and the rate of MT exchange (k ). The adoption of SIR has been limited by long acquisition times (≈4 min/slice). Here, we use Cramér-Rao lower bound theory and data reduction strategies to select optimal t /t combinations to reduce imaging times. The schemes were experimentally validated in phantoms, and tested in healthy volunteers (N = 4) and a multiple sclerosis patient.

Results: Two optimal sampling schemes were determined: (i) a 5-point scheme (k estimated) and (ii) a 4-point scheme (k assumed). In phantoms, the 5/4-point schemes yielded parameter estimates with similar SNRs as our previous 16-point scheme, but with 4.1/6.1-fold shorter scan times. Pair-wise comparisons between schemes did not detect significant differences for any scheme/parameter. In humans, parameter values were consistent with published values, and similar levels of precision were obtained from all schemes. Furthermore, fixing k reduced the sensitivity of PSR to partial-volume averaging, yielding more consistent estimates throughout the brain.

Conclusions: qMT parameters can be robustly estimated in ≤1 min/slice (without independent measures of ΔB , B1+, and T ) when optimized t -t combinations are selected.