The effects of RF coils and SAR supervision strategies for clinically applicable nonselective parallel-transmit pulses at 7 T.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of using different parallel-transmit (pTx) head coils and specific absorption rate (SAR) supervision strategies on pTx pulse design for ultrahigh-field MRI using a 3D-MPRAGE sequence. METHODS: The PTx universal pulses (UPs) and fast online-customized (FOCUS) pulses were designed with pre-acquired data sets (B0 , B1 + maps, specific absorption rate [SAR] supervision data) from two different 8 transmit/32 receive head coils on two 7T whole-body MR systems. For one coil, the SAR supervision model consisted of per-channel RF power limits. In the other coil, SAR estimations were done with both per-channel RF power limits as well as virtual observation points (VOPs) derived from electromagnetic field (EMF) simulations using three virtual human body models at three different positions. All pulses were made for nonselective excitation and inversion and evaluated on 132 B0 , B1 + , and SAR supervision datasets obtained with one coil and 12 from the other. At both sites, 3 subjects were examined using MPRAGE sequences that used UP/FOCUS pulses generated for both coils. RESULTS: For some subjects, the UPs underperformed when simulated on a different coil from which they were derived, whereas FOCUS pulses still showed acceptable performance in that case. FOCUS inversion pulses outperformed adiabatic pulses when scaled to the same local SAR level. For the self-built coil, the use of VOPs showed reliable overestimation compared with the ground-truth EMF simulations, predicting about 52% lower local SAR for inversion pulses compared with per-channel power limits. CONCLUSION: FOCUS inversion pulses offer a low-SAR alternative to adiabatic pulses and benefit from using EMF-based VOPs for SAR estimation.

Assessing muscle-specific potassium concentrations in human lower leg using potassium magnetic resonance imaging.

Noninvasively assessing tissue potassium concentrations (TPCs) using potassium magnetic resonance imaging (39 K MRI) could give valuable information on physiological processes connected to various pathologies. However, because of inherently low 39 K MR image resolution and strong signal blurring, a reliable measurement of the TPC is challenging. The aim of this work was to investigate the feasibility of a muscle-specific TPC determination with a focus on the influence of a varying residual quadrupolar interaction in human lower leg muscles. The quantification accuracy of a muscle-specific TPC determination was first assessed using simulated 39 K MRI data. In vivo 39 K and corresponding sodium (23 Na) MRI data of healthy lower leg muscles (n = 14, seven females) were acquired on a 7-T MR system using a double-resonant 23 Na/39 K birdcage Tx/Rx RF coil. Additional 1 H MR images were acquired on a 3-T MR system and used for tissue segmentation. Quantification of TPC was performed after a region-based partial volume correction (PVC) using five external reference phantoms. Simulations not only underlined the importance of PVC for correctly assessing muscle-specific TPC values, but also revealed the strong impact of a varying residual quadrupolar interaction between different muscle regions on the measured TPC. Using 39 K T2 * decay curves, we found significantly higher residual quadrupolar interaction in tibialis anterior muscle (TA; ωq = 194 ± 28 Hz) compared with gastrocnemius muscle (medial/lateral head, GM/GL; ωq = 151 ± 25 Hz) and soleus muscle (SOL; ωq = 102 ± 32 Hz). If considered in the PVC, TPC in individual muscles was similar (TPC = 98 ± 11/96 ± 14/99 ± 8/100 ± 12 mM in GM/GL/SOL/TA). Comparison with tissue sodium concentrations suggested that residual quadrupolar interactions might also influence the 23 Na MRI signal of lower leg muscles. A TPC determination of individual lower leg muscles is feasible and can therefore be applied in future studies. Considering a varying residual quadrupolar interaction for PVC of 39 K MRI data is essential to reliably assess potassium concentrations in individual muscles.

Hybrid B1+ -shimming and gradient adaptions for improved pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling at 7 Tesla.

PURPOSE: To improve pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pcASL) at 7T by exploiting a hybrid homogeneity- and efficiency-optimized B1+ -shim with adapted gradient strength as well as background suppression. METHODS: The following three experiments were performed at 7T, each employing five volunteers: (1) A hybrid (ie, homogeneity-efficiency optimized) B1+ -shim was introduced and evaluated for variable-rate selective excitation pcASL labeling. Therefore, B1+ -maps in the V3 segment and time-of-flight images were acquired to identify the feeding arteries. For validation, a gradient-echo sequence was applied in circular polarized (CP) mode and with the hybrid B1+ -shim. Additionally, the gray matter (temporal) signal-to-noise ratio (tSNR) in pcASL perfusion images was evaluated. (2) Bloch simulations for the pcASL labeling were conducted and validated experimentally, with a focus on the slice-selective gradients. (3) Background suppression was added to the B1+ -shimmed, gradient-adapted 7T sequence and this was then compared to a matched sequence at 3T. RESULTS: The B1+ -shim improved the signal within the labeling plane (23.6%) and the SNR/tSNR increased (+11%/+11%) compared to its value in CP mode; however, the increase was not significant. In accordance with the simulations, the adapted gradients increased the tSNR (35%) and SNR (45%) significantly. Background suppression further improved the perfusion images at 7T, and this protocol performed as well as a resolution-matched protocol at 3T. CONCLUSION: The combination of the proposed hybrid B1+ -phase-shim with the adapted slice-selective gradients and background suppression shows great potential for improved pcASL labeling under suboptimal B1+ conditions at 7T.

MRI of Potassium and Sodium Enables Comprehensive Analysis of Ion Perturbations in Skeletal Muscle Tissue After Eccentric Exercise.

OBJECTIVES: The aims were to investigate if potassium ( 39 K) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to analyze changes in the apparent tissue potassium concentration (aTPC) in calf muscle tissue after eccentric exercise and in delayed-onset muscle soreness, and to compare these to corresponding changes in the apparent tissue sodium concentration (aTSC) measured with sodium ( 23 Na) MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen healthy subjects (7 female, 7 male; 25.0 ± 2.8 years) underwent 39 K and 23 Na MRI at a 7 T MR system, as well as 1 H MRI at a 3 T MR system. Magnetic resonance imaging data and blood samples were collected at baseline (t0), directly after performing eccentric exercise (t1) and 48 hours after exercise (t2). Self-reported muscle soreness was evaluated using a 10-cm visual analog scale for pain (0, no pain; 10, worst pain) at t0, t1, and t2. Quantification of aTPC/aTSC was performed after correcting the measured 39 K/ 23 Na signal intensities for partial volume and relaxation effects using 5 external reference phantoms. Edema volume and 1 H T 2 relaxation times were determined based on the 1 H MRI data. Participants were divided according to their increase in creatine kinase (CK) level into high (CK t2 ≥ 10·CK t0 ) and low CK (CK t2 < 10·CK t0 ) subjects. RESULTS: Blood serum CK and edema volume were significantly increased 48 hours after exercise compared with baseline ( P < 0.001). Six participants showed a high increase in blood serum CK level at t2 relative to baseline, whereas 8 participants had only a low to moderate increase in blood serum CK. All participants reported increased muscle soreness both at rest and when climbing stairs at t1 (0.4 ± 0.7; 1.4 ± 1.2) and t2 (1.6 ± 1.4; 4.8 ± 1.9) compared with baseline (0 ± 0; 0 ± 0). Moreover, aTSC was increased at t1 in exercised muscles of all participants (increase by 57% ± 24% in high CK, 73% ± 33% in low CK subjects). Forty-eight hours after training, subjects with high increase in blood serum CK still showed highly increased aTSC (increase by 79% ± 57% compared with t0). In contrast, aTPC at t2 was elevated in exercised muscles of low CK subjects (increase by 19% ± 11% compared with t0), in which aTSC had returned to baseline or below. Overall, aTSC and aTPC showed inverse evolution, with changes in aTSC being approximately twice as high as in aTPC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that 39 K MRI is able to detect changes in muscular potassium concentrations caused by eccentric exercise. In combination with 23 Na MRI, this enables a more holistic analysis of tissue ion concentration changes.

Time-of-Flight Angiography in Ultra-High-Field 7 T MRI for the Evaluation of Peroneal Perforator Arteries Before Osseomyocutaneous Flap Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Presurgical identification and morphologic characterization of the peroneal perforator arteries (PPAs) are essential for osseomyocutaneous flap surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate PPAs using time-of-flight (TOF) angiography in 7 T magnetic resonance imaging in comparison with dual-energy computed tomographic angiography (CTA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, TOF angiography and CTA of both lower legs were acquired before flap surgery from 07/2019 to 02/2020. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a dedicated 28-channel knee coil with an acquisition time of 9:55 minutes (voxel size: 0.4 × 0.4 × 0.8 mm). Computed tomographic angiography was acquired with a third-generation dual-source computed tomography on the same day. Virtual monoenergetic reconstructions at 40 keV photon energy served as the standard of reference for PPA identification and subtyping. Two independent readers assessed the image quality, quantity, length assessment, and classification according to surgical considerations of PPAs for TOF angiography and CTA. Both TOF angiography and CTA were used for presurgical flap design and were evaluated by an orofacial surgeon. RESULTS: Ten patients (mean age, 59.9 ± 14.9 years; 7 men) were included. Time-of-flight angiography and CTA identified 53 and 51 PPAs in total, respectively. Time-of-flight angiography showed superior image quality (both readers, P < 0.05). Time-of-flight angiography enabled specific classification of PPA subtypes more often (53 vs 39; P < 0.05), and both readers reported higher diagnostic confidence for TOF angiography than CTA in all patients (interrater agreement κ = 0.8; P < 0.05). Regarding length assessment, PPAs were significantly more conspicuous with TOF angiography (TOF mean , 50 ± 11 mm; CTA mean , 40 ± 9 mm; P = 0.001). In comparison with CTA, TOF angiography prospectively changed the orofacial surgeon's final decision on the presurgical selected PPAs in 60% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Presurgical assessment of PPAs is feasible using TOF in 7 T magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, TOF angiography was superior to CTA for classifying and identifying PPAs, which may facilitate the planning of reconstructive surgery.

Muscle perfusion and the effect of compression garments in delayed-onset muscle soreness assessed with arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: There is limited information about perfusion in exercise-induced muscle injuries such as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and the effect of compression garments as a therapeutic strategy during the regeneration phase. The purpose of this prospective, explorative study was to evaluate muscle perfusion in DOMS and to assess the effect of compression garments at resting conditions and during DOMS by magnetic resonance (MR) arterial spin labeling (ASL). Methods: DOMS was induced from 03/2021 to 04/2021 using an eccentric and plyometric exercises targeting the calf muscles in 14 volunteers. A compression garment (21-22 mmHg) was worn during and for 6 h after exercise on one randomized leg. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including ASL of both lower legs was performed before and directly after the exercise as well as after 6 h, and 48 h using a 3 Tesla MRI system. Perfusion analyses of the gastrocnemius muscle (GM) and the tibialis anterior muscle (TA) were performed and results were compared to baseline measurements. T2-weighted images and creatine kinase levels were acquired at baseline and after 48 h. Results: All volunteers presented a successful induction of DOMS in the GM after 48 h. Arterial muscle perfusion in the GM increased from baseline to measurements taken directly after the exercise (4.97±5.59 mL/100 g/min, P<0.001). No significant alteration in perfusion compared to baseline was observed at 6 h (P=0.16) and 48 h (P=1.0) after the induction of DOMS. Compression garments did not elicit a significant alteration in ASL parameters in the GM (P=0.65) or the TA (P=0.05) at any time point. No adverse events occurred during the study. Conclusions: After an initial exercise-associated increase in arterial muscle perfusion, a normalization of blood supply was observed at 6 and 48 h after the exercise intervention inducing DOMS. Wearing a compression garment (21-22 mmHg) during and after the induction of DOMS did not affect muscle perfusion at rest, nor did it have any significant effect on muscle perfusion during the regeneration phase. The results can help to better understand the pathophysiological properties of DOMS and may have implications for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Direct imaging of white matter ultrashort T2∗ components at 7 Tesla.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate direct imaging of the white matter ultrashort T2∗ components at 7 Tesla using inversion recovery (IR)-enhanced ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI. To investigate its characteristics, potentials and limitations, and to establish a clinical protocol. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The IR UTE technique suppresses long T2∗ signals within white matter by using adiabatic inversion in combination with dual-echo difference imaging. Artifacts arising at 7 T from long T2∗ scalp fat components were reduced by frequency shifting the IR pulse such that those frequencies were inverted likewise. For 8 healthy volunteers, the T2∗ relaxation times of white matter were then quantified. In 20 healthy volunteers, the UTE difference and fraction contrast were evaluated. Finally, in 6 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), the performance of the technique was assessed. RESULTS: A frequency shift of -1.2 ppm of the IR pulse (i.e. towards the fat frequency) provided a good suppression of artifacts. With this, an ultrashort compartment of (68 ± 6) % with a T2∗ time of (147 ± 58) µs was quantified with a chemical shift of (-3.6 ± 0.5) ppm from water. Within healthy volunteers' white matter, a stable ultrashort T2∗ fraction contrast was calculated. For the MS patients, a significant fraction reduction in the identified lesions as well as in the normal-appearing white matter was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The quantification results indicate that the observed ultrashort components arise primarily from myelin tissue. Direct IR UTE imaging of the white matter ultrashort T2∗ components is thus feasible at 7 T with high quantitative inter-subject repeatability and good detection of signal loss in MS.

High resolution time-of-flight MR-angiography at 7 T exploiting VERSE saturation, compressed sensing and segmentation.

BACKGROUND: 3D Time-of-Flight (TOF) MR-angiography (MRA) substantially benefits from ultra-high magnetic field strengths (≥7 T) due to increased Signal-to-Noise ratio and improved contrast. However, high-resolution TOF-MRA usually requires long acquisition times. In addition, specific absorption rate constraints limit the choice of optimal pulse sequence parameters, especially if venous saturation is employed. PURPOSE: To implement and evaluate an arterial TOF-MRA for accelerated high-resolution angiography at ultra-high magnetic field strength. FIELD STRENGTHS/SEQUENCE: 7 T modified gradient-echo TOF sequence including venous saturation using Variable-Rate Selective Excitation (VERSE), Compressed Sensing (CS) and sparse application of saturation pulses, called segmentation, were included for acceleration. ASSESSMENT: To analyze the acceleration techniques all volunteers were examined with the same protocols. CS with different sampling patterns and regularization factors as well as segmentation were applied for acceleration. For comparison, conventional acceleration techniques were applied (GRAPPA PAT 3 and Partial Fourier (6/8 in slice/phase encoding)). Images were co-registered and 40 mm thick transversal maximum intensity projections were created to calculate the relative number of vessels. To analyze the visibility of small vessels, the lenticulostriate arteries (LSA) were examined. This was done via multiscale vessel enhancement filtering in a VOI and quantification via Fiji ImageJ as well as qualitatively evaluation by two radiologists. Additionally, the venous/arterial vessel-to-background ratios (vVBR/aVBR) were calculated for chosen protocols. RESULTS: For the acceleration of a high resolution TOF-MRA (0.31 mm isotropic), under-sampling of 9.6 showed aliasing artifacts, whereas 7.2 showed no aliasing. The regularization factor R had a strong impact on the image quality according to smoothing (R = 0.01 to R = 0.005) and noise (R = 0.0005 to R = 0.00005). With the alternating sampling patterns it was shown that the k-space center should not be under-sampled too much. Additionally segmentation could be verified to be feasible for stronger acceleration with sufficient venous suppression. CONCLUSION: The combination of several independent techniques (VERSE, CS with acceleration factor 7.2, R = 0.001, Poisson disc radius of 80%, 3 segments) enables the application of high-resolution (0.31 mm isotropic) TOF-MRA with venous saturation at 7 T in clinical time settings (TA ≈ 5 min) and within the SAR limits.