Navigator motion correction of diffusion weighted 3D SSFP imaging.

Area of Science:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Medical Physics
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging is crucial for detecting neurological abnormalities.
• Traditional DW imaging methods are highly sensitive to motion artifacts, often requiring time-consuming multi-averaging.
• Severe magnetic susceptibility artifacts in certain brain regions pose a significant challenge for current DW imaging techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel diffusion-weighted 3D steady-state MR imaging (SSFP) technique.
• To address the limitations of existing DW imaging methods, particularly concerning motion artifacts and susceptibility.
• To enable faster acquisition of high-quality DW images in challenging brain regions.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a 3D steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequence.
• Integration of navigator echo's motion correction to mitigate respiratory bulk motion artifacts.
• Development of an interpolation strategy for motion correction in regions with pulsatile flow (blood/CSF).

Main Results:

• The proposed technique successfully acquires diffusion-weighted images in regions with severe susceptibility.
• Navigator echo motion correction effectively removes respiratory bulk motion artifacts, avoiding lengthy multi-averaging.
• Acquisition of 10 diffusion-weighted slices is achieved within a rapid timeframe of 0:50–2:30 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The novel DW 3D SSFP technique with navigator echo motion correction offers a significant advancement in neuroimaging.
• This method provides a robust solution for acquiring high-quality diffusion-weighted images, even in the presence of motion and susceptibility artifacts.
• The reduced acquisition time and improved image quality have substantial implications for clinical diagnosis and research in neurology.