Motion-compensated (M2) spin-echo (SE) and stimulated-echo acquisition mode (STEAM) sequences have been proposed to generate diffusion contrast in in-vivo cardiac imaging. When comparing measured fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity of cardiac tissue, marked differences have been reported between SE and STEAM. Cardiac motion, perfusion, different mixing times and eddy-currents have been discussed as potential source of discrepancies. In this study it is shown that signal dephasing due to eddy-currents play a minor role. While SE is more prone to motion-induced dephasing compared to STEAM, reported differences in mean diffusivity can only marginally be explained by motion-induced signal loss in SE.
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