Simon Robinson1, Markus Barth2, Jorge Jovicich1
1Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Trentino, Italy; 2Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
T2* maps reflect local iron concentration but are limited in usefullness by dephasing due to static magnetic field gradients. We explore the utility of high resolution 3D EPI and 3D MGE sequences in reducing dephasing, and the correction of residual effects using a 3D model based on fieldmaps, which are calculated from phase information. Results are presented for the basal ganglia, which are of clinical interest in a number of pathologies. 3D MGE with acceleration factor 2, the fastest sequence tested, emerges as a reliable means to perform whole-brain submillimetre T2* mapping at 4T in just over 5 minutes.