Combined T2*-Weighted Acquisitions of the Human Brain and the Cervical Spinal Cord with a Dynamic Update of the Linear Shims

Jrgen Finsterbusch¹, ², Christian Sprenger¹, ², Christian Bchel¹, ²

Important basic functions of the central nervous system like sensory processing, motor execution or reflexes involve the spinal cord. To investigate the functional relationship between the brain and the spinal cord directly, fMRI acquisitions covering both regions in the same experiment are required. But the demands differ considerably between the two regions, in particular regarding the shim adjustment. With different fields-of-view, in-plane resolutions, and slice thicknesses and using a dynamic coil selection and update of the linear shim terms, combined T2*-weighted acquisitions of the brain and the cervical spinal cord are feasible as is demonstrated in healthy volunteers at 3T.