Rapid volumetric T1 mapping of the abdomen using three-dimensional through-time spiral GRAPPA

To develop an ultrafast T1 mapping method for high-resolution, volumetric T1 measurements in the abdomen.

The Look-Locker method was combined with a stack-of-spirals acquisition accelerated using three-dimensional (3D) through-time spiral GRAPPA reconstruction for fast data acquisition. A segmented k-space acquisition scheme was proposed and the time delay between segments for the recovery of longitudinal magnetization was optimized using Bloch equation simulations. The accuracy of this method was validated in a phantom experiment and in vivo T1 measurements were performed with 35 asymptomatic subjects on both 1.5 Tesla (T) and 3T MRI systems.

Phantom experiments yielded close agreement between the proposed method and gold standard measurements for a large range of T1 values (200 to 1600 ms). The in vivo results further demonstrate that high-resolution T1 maps (2 × 2 × 4 mm(3)) for 32 slices can be achieved in a single clinically feasible breath-hold of approximately 20 s. The T1 values for multiple organs and tissues in the abdomen are in agreement with the published literature.

A high-resolution 3D abdominal T1 mapping technique was developed, which allows fast and accurate T1 mapping of multiple abdominal organs and tissues in a single breath-hold.