Q-ball imaging with PROPELLER EPI acquisition
Journal
NMR in Biomedicine
Journal Volume
26
Journal Issue
12
Pages
1723-1732
Date Issued
2013
Author(s)
Abstract
Q-ball imaging (QBI) is an imaging technique that is capable of resolving intravoxel fiber crossings; however, the signal readout based on echo-planar imaging (EPI) introduces geometric distortions in the presence of susceptibility gradients. This study proposes an imaging technique that reduces susceptibility distortions in QBI by short-axis PROPELLER EPI acquisition. Conventional QBI and PROPELLER QBI data were acquired from two 3T MR scans of the brains of five healthy subjects. Prior to the PROPELLER reconstruction, residual distortions in single-blade low-resolution b0 and diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) were minimized by linear affine and nonlinear diffeomorphic demon registrations. Subsequently, the PROPELLER keyhole reconstruction was applied to the corrected DWIs to obtain high-resolution PROPELLER DWIs. The generalized fractional anisotropy and orientation distribution function maps contained fewer distortions in PROPELLER QBI than in conventional QBI, and the fiber tracts more closely matched the brain anatomy depicted by turbo spin-echo (TSE) T2-weighted imaging (T2WI). Furthermore, for fixed TE, PROPELLER QBI enabled a shorter scan time than conventional QBI. We conclude that PROPELLER QBI can reduce susceptibility distortions without lengthening the acquisition time and is suitable for tracing neuronal fiber tracts in the human brain. ? 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Subjects
Fiber tracking; GFA; Keyhole; ODF; PROPELLER; QBI
SDGs
Other Subjects
Fiber tracking; GFA; Keyhole; ODF; QBI; Fibers; Imaging techniques; Spinning (fibers); Propellers; acceleration; adult; article; brain; brain stem; cerebral peduncle; clinical article; corpus callosum; diffusion weighted imaging; echo planar imaging; electron spin resonance; fractional anisotropy; frontal lobe; frontal sinus; geometry; gray matter; human; image reconstruction; imaging; male; neuroanatomy; normal human; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; orientation; priority journal; q ball imaging; signal noise ratio; stria terminalis; thickness; tractography; uncinate fasciculus; white matter; fiber tracking; GFA; keyhole; ODF; PROPELLER; QBI; Algorithms; Anisotropy; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Echo-Planar Imaging; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Male; Young Adult
Type
journal article