Faculty Bibliography

Radiofrequency shimming with multiple channel excitation has been proposed to increase the transverse magnetic field uniformity and reduce specific absorption rate at high magnetic field strengths (>/=7 T) where high-frequency effects can make traditional single channel volume coils unsuitable for transmission. In the case of deep anatomic regions and power-demanding pulse sequences, optimization of transmit efficiency may be a more critical requirement than homogeneity per se. This work introduces a novel method to maximize transmit efficiency using multiple channel excitation and radiofrequency shimming. Shimming weights are calculated in order to obtain the lowest possible net radiofrequency power deposition into the subject for a given transverse magnetic field strength. The method was demonstrated in imaging studies of articular cartilage of the hip joint at 7 T. We show that the new radiofrequency shimming method can enable reduction in power deposition while maintaining an average flip angle or adiabatic condition in the hip cartilage. Building upon the improved shimming, we further show that the signal-to-noise ratio in hip cartilage at 7 T can be substantially greater than that at 3 T, illustrating the potential benefits of high field hip imaging. Magn Reson Med, 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging, parallel radiofrequency (RF) transmission presents both opportunities and challenges for specific absorption rate management. On one hand, parallel transmission provides flexibility in tailoring electric fields in the body while facilitating magnetization profile control. On the other hand, it increases the complexity of energy deposition as well as possibly exacerbating local specific absorption rate by improper design or delivery of RF pulses. This study shows that the information needed to characterize RF heating in parallel transmission is contained within a local power correlation matrix. Building upon a calibration scheme involving a finite number of magnetic resonance thermometry measurements, this work establishes a way of estimating the local power correlation matrix. Determination of this matrix allows prediction of temperature change for an arbitrary parallel transmit RF pulse. In the case of a three transmit coil MR experiment in a phantom, determination and validation of the power correlation matrix were conducted in less than 200 min with induced temperature changes of <4 degrees C. Further optimization and adaptation are possible, and simulations evaluating potential feasibility for in vivo use are presented. The method allows general characteristics indicative of RF coil/pulse safety determined in situ. Magn Reson Med, 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In vivo sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures tissue sodium content in living human brain but current methods do not allow noninvasive quantitative assessment of intracellular sodium concentration (ISC) - the most useful marker of tissue viability. In this study, we report the first noninvasive quantitative in vivo measurement of ISC and intracellular sodium volume fraction (ISVF) in healthy human brain, made possible by measuring tissue sodium concentration (TSC) and intracellular sodium molar fraction (ISMF) at ultra-high field MRI. The method uses single-quantum (SQ) and triple-quantum filtered (TQF) imaging at 7 Tesla to separate intra- and extracellular sodium signals and provide quantification of ISMF, ISC and ISVF. This novel method allows noninvasive quantitative measurement of ISC and ISVF, opening many possibilities for structural and functional metabolic studies in healthy and diseased brains

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a highly accelerated breath-hold 3-dimensional noncontrast-enhanced steady-state free precession thoracic magnetic resonance angiography (NC-MRA) technique in a clinical population, including assessment of image quality, aortic dimensions, and aortic pathology, compared with electrocardiographically gated gadolinium-enhanced MRA (Gd-MRA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: After approval from the institution board and informed consent were obtained, 30 patients (22 men; mean age, 53.4 years) with known or suspected aortic pathology were imaged with NC-MRA followed by Gd-MRA at a single examination at 1.5 T. Images were made anonymous and reviewed by 2 readers for aortic pathology and diagnostic confidence on a 5-point scale (1, worst; 5, best) on a patient basis. Image quality and artifacts were also evaluated in 10 vascular segments: aortic annulus, sinuses of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending aorta, diaphragmatic aorta, great vessel origins, and the left main and right coronary artery origins. Finally, aortic dimensions were measured in each of the 7 aortic segments. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare diagnostic confidence, image quality, and artifact scores between NC-MRA and Gd-MRA. The paired Student t test and Bland-Altman analysis were used for comparison of aortic dimensions. RESULTS: All patients completed NC-MRA and Gd-MRA successfully. Vascular pathologic findings were concordant with Gd-MRA in 29 of 30 (96.7%) patients and 28 of 30 (93.3%) patients for readers 1 and 2, respectively, with high diagnostic confidence (mean [SD], 4.35 [0.77]) not significantly different from Gd-MRA (4.38 [0.64]; P = 0.74). The image quality and artifact scores were comparable with Gd-MRA in most vascular segments. Notable differences were observed at the ascending aorta, where Gd-MRA had superior image quality (4.13 [0.73]) compared with NC-MRA (3.80 [0.88]; P = 0.028), and at the coronary artery origins where NC-MRA was considered superior (NC-MRA vs Gd-MRA, 3.38 [1.47] vs 2.78 [1.21] for the left main artery and NC-MRA vs Gd-MRA, 3.55 [1.40] vs 2.32 [1.16] for the right coronary artery; P < 0.05, both comparisons). The aortic dimensions were comparable, with the only significant difference observed at the ascending aorta, where NC-MRA dimension (4.05 [0.76]) was less than 1 mm smaller than that of Gd-MRA (4.12 [0.7]; P = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Breath-hold NC-MRA of the thoracic aorta yields good image quality, comparable to Gd-MRA, with high accuracy for aortic dimension and pathology. It can be considered as an alternative to Gd-MRA in patients with relative contraindications to gadolinium contrast or problems with intravenous access.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to develop a new method for free-breathing contrast-enhanced multiphase liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a combination of compressed sensing, parallel imaging, and radial k-space sampling and to demonstrate the feasibility of this method by performing image quality comparison with breath-hold cartesian T1-weighted (conventional) postcontrast acquisitions in healthy participants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant prospective study received approval from the institutional review board. Eight participants underwent 3 separate contrast-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted gradient-echo MRI examinations with matching imaging parameters: conventional breath-hold examination with cartesian k-space sampling volumetric interpolate breath hold examination (BH-VIBE) and free-breathing acquisitions with interleaved angle-bisection and continuous golden-angle radial sampling schemes. Interleaved angle-bisection and golden-angle data from each 100 consecutive spokes were reconstructed using a combination of compressed sensing and parallel imaging (interleaved-angle radial sparse parallel [IARASP] and golden-angle radial sparse parallel [GRASP]) to generate multiple postcontrast phases.Arterial- and venous-phase BH-VIBE, IARASP, and GRASP reconstructions were evaluated by 2 radiologists in a blinded fashion. The readers independently assessed quality of enhancement (QE), overall image quality (IQ), and other parameters of image quality on a 5-point scale, with the highest score indicating the most desirable examination. Mixed model analysis of variance was used to compare each measure of image quality. RESULTS: Images of BH-VIBE and GRASP had significantly higher QE and IQ values compared with IARASP for both phases (P < 0.05). The differences in QE between BH-VIBE and GRASP for the arterial and venous phases were not significant (P > 0.05). Although GRASP had lower IQ score compared with BH-VIBE for the arterial (3.9 vs 4.8; P < 0.0001) and venous (4.2 vs 4.8; P = 0.005) phases, GRASP received IQ scores of 3 or more in all participants, which was consistent with acceptable or better diagnostic image quality. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced multiphase liver MRI of diagnostic quality can be performed during free breathing using a combination of compressed sensing, parallel imaging, and golden-angle radial sampling.

The critical design aim for a sodium/proton coil is to maximize sodium sensitivity and transmit field homogeneity while simultaneously providing adequate proton sensitivity and homogeneity. While most dual-frequency coils use lossy high-impedance trap circuits or PIN diodes to allow dual-resonance, we explored a nested-coil design for sodium/proton knee imaging at 7 T. A stand-alone eight-channel sodium receive array was implemented without standard dual-resonance circuitry to provide improved sodium signal-to-noise ratio. A detunable sodium birdcage was added for homogeneous sodium excitation and a four-channel proton transmit-receive array was added to provide anatomical reference imaging and B(0) shimming capabilities. Both additional modules were implemented with minimal disturbance to the eight-channel sodium array by managing their respective resonances and geometrical arrangement. In vivo sodium signal-to-noise ratio was 1.2-1.7 times greater in the developed eight-channel array than in a mononuclear sodium birdcage coil, whereas the developed four-channel proton array provided signal-to-noise ratio similar to that of a commercial mononuclear proton birdcage coil. Magn Reson Med, 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Purpose: To investigate the integrity of the default-mode network (DMN) by using independent component analysis (ICA) methods in patients shortly after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and healthy control subjects, and to correlate DMN connectivity changes with neurocognitive tests and clinical symptoms. Materials and Methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board and complied with HIPAA regulations. Twenty-three patients with MTBI who had posttraumatic symptoms shortly after injury (<2 months) and 18 age-matched healthy control subjects were included in this study. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed at 3 T to characterize the DMN by using ICA methods, including a single-participant ICA on the basis of a comprehensive template from core seeds in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) nodes. ICA z images of DMN components were compared between the two groups and correlated with neurocognitive tests and clinical performance in patients by using Pearson and Spearman rank correlation. Results: When compared with the control subjects, there was significantly reduced connectivity in the PCC and parietal regions and increased frontal connectivity around the MPFC in patients with MTBI (P < .01). These frontoposterior opposing changes within the DMN were significantly correlated (r = -0.44, P = .03). The reduced posterior connectivity correlated positively with neurocognitive dysfunction (eg, cognitive flexibility), while the increased frontal connectivity correlated negatively with posttraumatic symptoms (ie, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and postconcussion syndrome). Conclusion: These results showed abnormal DMN connectivity patterns in patients with MTBI, which may provide insight into how neuronal communication and information integration are disrupted among DMN key structures after mild head injury. (c) RSNA, 2012.

We present high-resolution anatomical imaging of the cervical spinal cord in healthy volunteers at the ultrahigh field of 7 T with a prototype four-channel radiofrequency coil array, in comparison with 3-T imaging of the same subjects. Signal-to-noise ratios at both field strengths were estimated using the rigorous Kellman method. Spinal cord cross-sectional area measurements were performed, including whole-cord measurements at both fields and gray matter segmentation at 7 T. The 7-T array coil showed reduced sagittal coverage, comparable axial coverage and the expected significantly higher signal-to-noise ratio compared with equivalent 3-T protocols. In the cervical spinal cord, the signal-to-noise ratio was found by the Kellman method to be higher by a factor of 3.5 with the 7-T coil than with standard 3-T coils. Cervical spine imaging in healthy volunteers at 7 T revealed not only detailed white/gray matter differentiation, but also structures not visualized at lower fields, such as denticulate ligaments, nerve roots and rostral-caudal blood vessels. Whole-cord cross-sectional area measurements showed good agreement at both field strengths. The measurable gray/white matter cross-sectional areas at 7 T were found to be comparable with reports from histology. These pilot data demonstrate the use of higher signal-to-noise ratios at the ultrahigh field of 7 T for significant improvement in anatomical resolution of the cervical spinal cord, allowing the visualization of structures not seen at lower field strength, particularly for axial imaging

In 7 T traveling wave imaging, waveguide modes supported by the scanner radiofrequency shield are used to excite an MR signal in samples or tissue which may be several meters away from the antenna used to drive radiofrequency power into the system. To explore the potential merits of traveling wave excitation for whole-body imaging at 7 T, we compare numerical simulations of traveling wave and TEM systems, and juxtapose full-wave electrodynamic simulations using a human body model with in vivo human traveling wave imaging at multiple stations covering the entire body. The simulated and in vivo traveling wave results correspond well, with strong signal at the periphery of the body and weak signal deep in the torso. These numerical results also illustrate the complicated wave behavior that emerges when a body is present. The TEM resonator simulation allowed comparison of traveling wave excitation with standard quadrature excitation, showing that while the traveling wave B +1 per unit drive voltage is much less than that of the TEM system, the square of the average B +1 compared to peak specific absorption rate (SAR) values can be comparable in certain imaging planes. Both systems produce highly inhomogeneous excitation of MR signal in the torso, suggesting that B(1) shimming or other parallel transmission methods are necessary for 7 T whole body imaging. Magn Reson Med 67:1183-1193, 2011. (c) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.