Abstract #0567

Application of multi-shot EPI to mitigate image distortion in diffusion tensor imaging of the human lumbar spinal cord

Kristin P. O'Grady^1,2,3, Caroline Seehorn¹, Grace Sweeney¹, Logan Prock¹, Delaney Houston¹, Anna J.E. Combes¹, Kurt G. Schilling^1,2, Colin D. McKnight², Ryan K. Robison^1,2,4, and Seth A. Smith^1,2,3

¹Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, ²Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, ³Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, ⁴Philips, Nashville, TN, United States

Synopsis

Keywords: Spinal Cord, Diffusion Tensor ImagingThe lumbar spinal cord is significantly understudied with quantitative MRI methods such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), in part due to challenges of spatial and temporally-varying field inhomogeneities that cause distortion in commonly used single-shot EPI sequences. In this pilot study, we implemented IRIS Zoom, a multi-shot, reduced field-of-view method that corrects for shot-to-shot variations, phase errors (2D navigation), and T2* dephasing. Multi-shot EPI was successfully acquired in healthy volunteers at 3T, led to reduced geometric distortions, and provided quantitative DTI values comparable to those derived from single-shot EPI. Multi-shot EPI is feasible for high-resolution DTI of the lumbar cord.

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