Optimizing the Accuracy of T1 Mapping Accounting for RF Non-Linearities and Spoiling Characteristics in FLASH Imaging

Antoine Lutti¹, Nikolaus Weiskopf¹

The accuracy of T1 maps obtained with FLASH-based Variable Flip Angle (VFA) methods is affected by residual transverse coherences, spatial inhomogeneities of the transmit field B1 and non-linearities of the RF transmit chain. Here we address all these issues simultaneously and present an acquisition protocol with very high accuracy and precision. The accuracy was improved by ~40% in-vivo compared to a conventional VFA protocol, enabling cutting-edge applications such as mapping of myeloarchitecture.