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Abstract #3977

Double Quantum Magic Angle Sodium MRI of the Human Brain

Adrian Tsang1, Rob Stobbe1, Christian Beaulieu1

1Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


Selective detection of sodium signal from nuclei in ordered environments that exhibit non-zero residual quadrupole interactions is possible with a double-quantum magic-angle (DQ-MA) sequence. We show that DQ-MA signal from sodium is only detected in xanthan gum (ordered macromolecular environment) and not in either saline or 4% agar gel (disordered). We then demonstrate the first DQ-MA images of human brain acquired in 18 minutes at 4.7T in 3 healthy volunteers. This selective sodium measurement may provide novel insight into alterations of the microscopic ordered tissue microstructure of the brain.