Abstract #0320

Accelerated quantitative susceptibility and R2* mapping with flexible k-t-segmented 3D-EPI

Rüdiger Stirnberg¹, Andreas Deistung^2,3,4, Jürgen Reichenbach², and Tony Stöcker^1,5

¹MR Physics, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany, ²Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany, ³Department of Neurology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany, ⁴Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany, ⁵Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

We introduce and demonstrate a novel “k-t-segmented” gradient echo 3D-EPI variant for motion-robust, rapid quantitative susceptibility and R₂* mapping at 3T. The combination of a versatile 2D-CAIPIRINHA EPI sampling (“k-segmentation”) and two complementing multi-echo options (“t-segmentation”) provides maximum time- and SNR-efficiency by acquiring exactly as many k-space lines per echo time as fit to the required R₂* sampling without compromising spatial resolution. Offline averaging of multiple, rapid measurements (here: 6 averages, 6 echo times from 6.5-31.5ms, 52s/average) following optional, retrospective correction for motion and B₀ drift, yields excellent quantitative whole-brain maps at 0.8mm isotropic resolution acquired in approximately 5 minutes.

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