The relaxation parameter R2’ characterizes susceptibility-induced voxel signal modulations, for example, in the presence of deoxygenated hemoglobin in brain microvasculature or iron deposits in deep gray matter structures. Current R2’ measurement methods build on a spin-echo sequence configuration, and hence require impractically long scan time for volumetric 3D R2’ mapping. Furthermore, large susceptibility gradients around air/tissue interfaces result in signal distortions with increasing echo times, thus making it challenging to achieve accurate R2’ estimation in deep GM regions. Here, we propose an alternating, 3D z-shimmed, unbalanced steady-state-free-precession (SSFP) technique for rapid and B0-corrected R2’ mapping in the human brain.
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