Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI is highly susceptible to B1 inhomogeneities, resulting in inconsistent contrast for tissues with equal metabolite concentrations. To enhance B1-uniformity of saturation across the myocardium, a spectral-spatially selective pulse for CEST preparation was tailored for each subject. Simulations showed the tailored pulse reduced B1 variation from 6.85⁰ to 2.9⁰. These results were investigated on a Siemens 3T Trio scanner by performing full cardiac CEST exams using a conventional Gaussian or a tailored pulse for saturation. The tailored pulse resulted in reduced water and MT contrast variation across the myocardium when compared to the conventional pulse.
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