Abstract #2234

Concentration and relaxation rate independent clinical pH-weighted metabolic imaging at 3T using pulsed radiofrequency chemical exchange saturation transfer spin-and-gradient-echo echoplanar imaging (CEST-SAGE-EPI)

Jingwen Yao^1,2 and Benjamin M. Ellingson¹

¹UCLA Brain Tumor Imaging Laboratory, Center for Computer Vision and Imaging Biomarkers, Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States, ²Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Noninvasive pH measurement with chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI often suffers from various confounding factors. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of using a “ratiometric method” to obtain tissue relaxation rates and concentration independent pH-weighted MR image contrast at clinical field strengths using short RF saturation pulse trains and a multi-echo echoplanar readout. Results from numerical simulation and phantom experiments indicate that the new metric R(Δω₁,Δω₂) has an approximately linear relationship with pH, and is not sensitive to water relaxation rates or amino acid concentration. This approach will be highly valuable for investigating metabolic changes in many diseases.

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