Abstract #0982

Jara H, Sakai O, Suzuki S

Purpose: To study comparatively the whole-brain distributions of T1, T2, and secular-T2 (T2(sec)) in adult human subjects over a wide age range, and to investigate potential spectral differences between the four main brain compartments: left and right cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres. Methods: Images obtained with the mixed-TSE pulse sequence were postprocessed for generating T1 and T2 distributions, which were spatially self-coregistered. These were used for computing the distribution of the T2(sec) on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Segmentation was done with a modified dual-space clustering algorithm Conclusion: Strong age effect was noted in the T1 spectra in the cerebrum. By removing the T1 contribution, an age independent parameter, namely T2(sec) was found in the adult brain. Described technique could be useful in the study of normal and pathologic brain aging.