Effect of Hyperbaric Pressure on T1, T2, T2* & B0 of the Rat Brain During MRI

Eric R. Muir¹, Damon Cardenas¹, Guang Li¹, John Roby¹, Timothy Duong¹, ²

Oxygen has several effects on MRI signals including T1 shortening, T2/T2* BOLD effects from hemoglobin, and the Bo field may be altered by paramagnetic oxygen. Oxygen is increased under hyperbaric conditions which have been used to treat various conditions, so MRI of subjects within hyperbaric chambers may therefore be affected. The goal of this study is to characterize the effects of normobaric and hyperbaric conditions on T1, T2, T2*, and Bo. These parameters changed only slightly, indicating that MRI under hyperbaric conditions should not be dramatically affected, paving the way for functional MRI studies under hyperbaric pressure.