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3D MERMAID: 3D Multi-shot enhanced recovery motion artifact insensitive diffusion for submillimeter, multi-shell, and
Sajjad Feizollah1,2, Christine L Tardif1,2,3
1Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
|March 4, 2025
Summary
This study introduces 3D MERMAID diffusion MRI, significantly improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit time. This advancement enables higher resolution and more comprehensive data acquisition within feasible scan times on clinical scanners.
Area of Science:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Diffusion MRI
Background:
- Diffusion MRI is crucial for neuroimaging but often limited by scan time and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
- Achieving high spatial and angular resolution in diffusion MRI requires substantial acquisition time, posing challenges for clinical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the SNR per unit time in diffusion MRI.
- To enable high spatial resolution and extensive q-sampling within feasible scan times on clinical scanners.
Main Methods:
- Developed and implemented a 3D multi-shot enhanced recovery motion-insensitive diffusion (MERMAID) sequence.
- Utilized an inversion pulse for longitudinal magnetization recovery and a reduced excitation flip angle (Ernst angle).
- Employed a trajectory using radially batched internal navigator echoes (TURBINE) readout with image-based phase correction and compressed sensing reconstruction.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated 70%-240% improvement in SNR per unit time compared to a single-slice 2D spin-echo sequence in phantom and human scans.
- Enabled acquisition of data with 0.74 mm isotropic resolution and 112 directions across four b-shells in 37 minutes.
- Achieved significant SNR improvements on a clinical 3T scanner.
Conclusions:
- The 3D MERMAID sequence significantly enhances SNR per unit time compared to conventional multi-slice 2D and 3D diffusion sequences.
- This improvement facilitates shorter scan times and higher spatial and angular resolutions for clinical diffusion MRI.
- 3D MERMAID offers a promising approach for advanced diffusion MRI acquisition on clinical scanners.
