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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
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Registered Bioimaging of Nanomaterials for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Monitoring
Published on: December 9, 2010
Brain magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla using BLADE compared with standard rectilinear data sampling.
Bernd J Wintersperger1, Val M Runge, Jonmenjoy Biswas
1Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospitals-Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. Bernd.Wintersperger@med.uni-muenchen.de
Investigative Radiology
|June 15, 2006
Summary
Periodically Rotated Overlapping ParallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction (PROPELLER; BLADE) MRI significantly reduces motion and other artifacts in 3 T brain imaging, especially for axial T2-weighted FLAIR sequences. This technique offers improved image quality compared to standard k-space sampling.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Standard k-space sampling in MRI can be prone to various imaging artifacts.
- Artifacts can degrade image quality and potentially impact diagnostic accuracy.
- The PROPELLER (BLADE) technique is an advanced acquisition method designed to mitigate artifacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the Periodically Rotated Overlapping ParallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction (PROPELLER; BLADE) technique against standard k-space sampling for brain MRI at 3 Tesla.
- To evaluate the reduction of specific imaging artifacts, such as motion and pulsation artifacts, in both axial and sagittal orientations.
- To assess the overall image quality and diagnostic utility of PROPELLER (BLADE) compared to conventional methods.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 40 consenting patients was conducted at 3 T.
- Standard and PROPELLER (BLADE) techniques were compared for axial T2-weighted FLAIR and sagittal T1-weighted gradient echo sequences.
- Imaging protocols were matched for spatial resolution, and data were evaluated by two experienced neuroradiologists for artifacts and overall quality.
Main Results:
- PROPELLER (BLADE) axial T2-weighted FLAIR demonstrated significantly fewer pulsation and Gibb's artifacts than standard scans.
- Ghosting (motion) artifacts were substantially lower in PROPELLER T2-weighted data, with readers rating it superior or equal in 95% of cases (kappa = 1).
- Sagittal T1-weighted PROPELLER FLAIR exhibited consistent wrap artifacts, with only fair reader agreement (kappa = 0.24).
Conclusions:
- PROPELLER (BLADE) is a viable technique for 3 T brain MRI, effectively minimizing motion artifacts.
- The PROPELLER acquisition scheme successfully reduces various artifacts that compromise scan quality.
- While highly effective for axial T2-weighted imaging, further optimization may be needed for sagittal T1-weighted sequences to address wrap-around artifacts.
