Assessing the Feasibility of Dynamic ³¹P Spectroscopy for Metabolic Studies With a 1.0T Extremity Scanner

The feasibility of conducting in vivo non-localized ³¹P Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) with a 1.0T extremity scanner and the potential to increase accessibility of this important diagnostic tool for low cost applications is revisited.

This work presents a custom transmit-only quadrature birdcage, four-element receive coil array, and spectrometer interfaced to a commercial ONI 1.0T magnet for enabling multi-channel, non-¹H frequency capabilities. A custom, magnetic resonance compatible plantar flexion-extension exercise device was also developed to enable exercise protocols. The coils were assessed with bench measurements and ³¹P phantom studies before an in vivo demonstration.

In pulse and acquire spectroscopy of a phantom, the array was found to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by a factor of 1.31 and reduce the linewidth by 13.9% when compared to a large loop coil of the same overall size. In vivo testing results show that two averages and a four second repetition time for a temporal resolution of eight seconds was sufficient to obtain phosphocreatine recovery values and baseline pH levels aligned with expected literature values.

Initial in vivo human skeletal muscle ³¹P MRS allowed successful monitoring of metabolic changes during an 18-minute exercise protocol.

Adding an array coil and multinuclear capability to a commercial low-cost 1.0T extremity scanner enabled the observation of characteristic ³¹P metabolic information, such as the phosphocreatinerecovery rate and underlying baseline pH.