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Abstract #2989

Optimized PARACEST Signal Detection by Echo-Planar Imaging

Adrienne Elizabeth Campbell1,2, Alex Li1, Craig Jones3,4, Robert Bartha1

1Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; 2Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London , Greater London, United Kingdom; 3F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; 4Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London , Ontario, Canada


Paramagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (PARACEST) contrast agents are being developed for in-vivo MRI. In this study, an accurate in-vivo MRI simulator was developed and used to optimize a time-course Echo-Planar Imaging (EPI) scheme. An 8-shot EPI sequence was simulated for the detection of 100μM and 1mM solutions of Dy3+-DOTAM-GlyLys in vivo. A dynamic EPI scheme, which alternates between a PARACEST EPI sequence that saturates on the bound water pool and a control sequence, was optimized to minimize the SNR requirements for detection. It was determined that EPI schemes may be feasible for PARACEST detection in-vivo.