Lauri Juhani Lehto1,
Alejandra Sierra1, Curtis Andrew Corum2, Djaudat
Idiyatullin2, Michael Garwood2, Olli Heikki Grhn1
1Department of Neurobiology,
A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern
Finland, Kuopio, Eastern Finland, Finland; 2Center for Magnetic
Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phase images acquired with gradient echo usually require multiple acquisitions and/or significant post-processing. With SWIFT, phase images can be generated without any post-processing steps. SWIFT preserves off-resonance spin signals up to its full acquisition bandwidth due to the near zero dead time. SWIFT phase imaging was applied to calcification detection formed in epileptic and traumatic brain injury rat brains, ex vivo and in vivo. The calcifications were identified based on their dipole like fields, and due to their diamagnetic susceptibility, have opposite sign than paramagnetic/ferromagnetic objects. Good correspondence between calcification volumes calculated from SWIFT images and histological sections was seen.