Abstract #0695

Optimal Enhancement of Brain Structures by Combining Different MR Contrasts: Demonstration of Venous Vessel Enhancement in Multi-Echo Gradient-Echo MRI

Andreas Deistung¹, Ferdinand Schweser², Jrgen R. Reichenbach²

¹Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology I, Jena University Hospital - Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany; ²Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology I, Jena University Hospital - Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany

We present a supervised approach for creating image contrast that enhances specific structures of interest. To this end, we apply linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to optimally combine multiple image contrasts generated from complex-valued multi-echo GRE information (magnetic susceptibility, R2*, and S0) to create a novel contrast with increased cerebral venous vessel contrast. This approach can easily be adjusted to emphasize other tissue properties by changing the definition of classes in the training step.