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Pulsatile motion artifact reduction in 3D steady-state-free-precession-echo brain imaging
R D Tien1, M Bernstein, J MacFall
1Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Modified steady-state-free-precession echo (SSFP-Echo) MRI sequences significantly reduce flow and motion artifacts. This enhancement improves brain imaging quality without compromising scan time or signal-to-noise ratio.
Area of Science:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Steady-state-free-precession echo (SSFP-Echo) sequences offer strong T2-weighting but are susceptible to flow and motion artifacts.
- Artifacts in SSFP-Echo imaging are primarily linked to the moments of imaging gradients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reduce flow and motion artifacts in SSFP-Echo MRI.
- To compare standard SSFP-Echo implementations with modified versions using reduced gradient moments and altered RF phase cycling.
Main Methods:
- Implemented modified SSFP-Echo sequences with reduced gradient moments and different RF phase cycling.
- Utilized asymmetric echo acquisition and narrowed bandwidth to further decrease gradient moments.
- Compared artifact levels in standard and modified SSFP-Echo sequences for brain imaging.
Main Results:
- Modified SSFP-Echo sequences demonstrated a fivefold reduction in artifacts in the axial plane.
- A twofold reduction in artifacts was observed in the coronal plane with the modified sequences.
- The modifications significantly decreased flow and motion artifacts without impacting scan time or signal-to-noise ratio.
Conclusions:
- Modified SSFP-Echo sequences effectively mitigate flow and motion artifacts in brain MRI.
- These optimized sequences enhance image quality for SSFP-Echo techniques.
- The developed modifications offer a practical solution for improving SSFP-Echo imaging.