Evaluation of coaxial dipole antennas as transceiver elements of human head array for ultra-high field MRI at 9.4T.

PURPOSE: The aim of this work is to evaluate a new eight-channel transceiver (TxRx) coaxial dipole array for imaging of the human head at 9.4T developed to improve specific absorption rate (SAR) performance, and provide for a more compact and robust alternative to the state-of-the art dipole arrays. METHODS: First, the geometry of a single coaxial element was optimized to minimize peak SAR and sensitivity to the load variation. Next, a multi-tissue voxel model was used to numerically simulate a TxRx array coil that consisted of eight coaxial dipoles with the optimal configuration. Finally, we compared the developed array to other human head dipole arrays. Results of numerical simulations were verified on a bench and in the scanner including in vivo measurements on a healthy volunteer. RESULTS: The developed eight-element coaxial dipole TxRx array coil showed up to 1.1times higher SAR-efficiency than a similar in geometry folded-end and fractionated dipole array while maintaining whole brain coverage and low sensitivity of the resonance frequency to variation in the head size. CONCLUSION: As a proof of concept, we developed and constructed a prototype of a 9.4T (400 MHz) human head array consisting of eight TxRx coaxial dipoles. The developed array improved SAR-efficiency and provided for a more compact and robust alternative to the folded-end dipole design. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of using coaxial dipoles for human head MRI at ultra-high field.

Gaussian Process-based prediction of memory performance and biomarker status in ageing and Alzheimer's disease-A systematic model evaluation.

Neuroimaging markers based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) combined with various other measures (such as genetic covariates, biomarkers, vascular risk factors, neuropsychological tests etc.) might provide useful predictions of clinical outcomes during the progression towards Alzheimer's disease (AD). The use of multiple features in predictive frameworks for clinical outcomes has become increasingly prevalent in AD research. However, many studies do not focus on systematically and accurately evaluating combinations of multiple input features. Hence, the aim of the present work is to explore and assess optimal combinations of various features for MR-based prediction of (1) cognitive status and (2) biomarker positivity with a multi-kernel learning Gaussian process framework. The explored features and parameters included (A) combinations of brain tissues, modulation, smoothing, and image resolution; (B) incorporating demographics & clinical covariates; (C) the impact of the size of the training data set; (D) the influence of dimensionality reduction and the choice of kernel types. The approach was tested in a large German cohort including 959 subjects from the multicentric longitudinal study of cognitive impairment and dementia (DELCODE). Our evaluation suggests the best prediction of memory performance was obtained for a combination of neuroimaging markers, demographics, genetic information (ApoE4) and CSF biomarkers explaining 57% of outcome variance in out-of-sample predictions. The highest performance for Aß42/40 status classification was achieved for a combination of demographics, ApoE4, and a memory score while usage of structural MRI further improved the classification of individual patient's pTau status.

MRzero - Automated discovery of MRI sequences using supervised learning.

PURPOSE: A supervised learning framework is proposed to automatically generate MR sequences and corresponding reconstruction based on the target contrast of interest. Combined with a flexible, task-driven cost function this allows for an efficient exploration of novel MR sequence strategies. METHODS: The scanning and reconstruction process is simulated end-to-end in terms of RF events, gradient moment events in x and y, and delay times, acting on the input model spin system given in terms of proton density, T1 and T2 , and ΔB0 . As a proof of concept, we use both conventional MR images and T1 maps as targets and optimize from scratch using the loss defined by data fidelity, SAR penalty, and scan time. RESULTS: In a first attempt, MRzero learns gradient and RF events from zero, and is able to generate a target image produced by a conventional gradient echo sequence. Using a neural network within the reconstruction module allows arbitrary targets to be learned successfully. Experiments could be translated to image acquisition at the real system (3T Siemens, PRISMA) and could be verified in the measurements of phantoms and a human brain in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Automated MR sequence generation is possible based on differentiable Bloch equation simulations and a supervised learning approach.

Fast track to the neocortex: A memory engram in the posterior parietal cortex.

Models of systems memory consolidation postulate a fast-learning hippocampal store and a slowly developing, stable neocortical store. Accordingly, early neocortical contributions to memory are deemed to reflect a hippocampus-driven online reinstatement of encoding activity. In contrast, we found that learning rapidly engenders an enduring memory engram in the human posterior parietal cortex. We assessed microstructural plasticity via diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging as well as functional brain activity in an object-location learning task. We detected neocortical plasticity as early as 1 hour after learning and found that it was learning specific, enabled correct recall, and overlapped with memory-related functional activity. These microstructural changes persisted over 12 hours. Our results suggest that new traces can be rapidly encoded into the parietal cortex, challenging views of a slow-learning neocortex.

SQUID-based detection of ultra-low-field multinuclear NMR of substances hyperpolarized using signal amplification by reversible exchange.

Ultra-low-field (ULF) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a promising spectroscopy method allowing for, e.g., the simultaneous detection of multiple nuclei. To overcome the low signal-to-noise ratio that usually hampers a wider application, we present here an alternative approach to ULF NMR, which makes use of the hyperpolarizing technique signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE). In contrast to standard parahydrogen hyperpolarization, SABRE can continuously hyperpolarize 1 H as well as other MR-active nuclei. For simultaneous measurements of 1 H and 19 F under SABRE conditions a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)-based NMR detection unit was adapted. We successfully hyperpolarized fluorinated pyridine derivatives with an up to 2000-fold signal enhancement in 19 F. The detected signals may be explained by two alternative reaction mechanisms. SABRE combined with simultaneous SQUID-based broadband multinuclear detection may enable the quantitative analysis of multinuclear processes.

Evaluation of transmit efficiency and SAR for a tight fit transceiver human head phased array at 9.4 T.

Ultra-high field (UHF, ≥7 T) tight fit transceiver phased arrays improve transmit (Tx) efficiency (B1+ /√P) in comparison with Tx-only arrays, which are usually larger to fit receive (Rx)-only arrays inside. One of the major problems limiting applications of tight fit arrays at UHFs is the anticipated increase of local tissue heating, which is commonly evaluated by the local specific absorption rate (SAR). To investigate the tradeoff between Tx efficiency and SAR when a tight fit UHF human head transceiver phased array is used instead of a Tx-only/Rx-only RF system, a single-row eight-element prototype of a 400 MHz transceiver head phased array was constructed. The Tx efficiency and SAR of the array were evaluated and compared with that of a larger Tx-only array, which could also be used in combination with an 18-channel Rx-only array. Data were acquired on the Siemens Magnetom whole body 9.4 T human MRI system. Depending on the head size, positioning and the RF shim strategy, the smaller array provides from 11 to 23% higher Tx efficiency. In general, the Tx performance, evaluated as B1+ /√SAR, i.e. the safety excitation efficiency (SEE), is also not compromised. The two arrays provide very similar SEEs evaluated over 1000 random RF shim sets. We demonstrated that, in general, the tight fit transceiver array improves Tx performance without compromising SEE. However, in specific cases, the SEE value may vary, favoring one of the arrays, and therefore must be carefully evaluated.

Whole brain MP2RAGE-based mapping of the longitudinal relaxation time at 9.4T.

Mapping of the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) with high accuracy and precision is central for neuroscientific and clinical research, since it opens up the possibility to obtain accurate brain tissue segmentation and gain myelin-related information. An ideal, quantitative method should enable whole brain coverage within a limited scan time yet allow for detailed sampling with sub-millimeter voxel sizes. The use of ultra-high magnetic fields is well suited for this purpose, however the inhomogeneous transmit field potentially hampers its use. In the present work, we conducted whole brain T1 mapping based on the MP2RAGE sequence at 9.4T and explored potential pitfalls for automated tissue classification compared with 3T. Data accuracy and T2-dependent variation of the adiabatic inversion efficiency were investigated by single slice T1 mapping with inversion recovery EPI measurements, quantitative T2 mapping using multi-echo techniques and simulations of the Bloch equations. We found that the prominent spatial variation of the transmit field at 9.4T (yielding flip angles between 20% and 180% of nominal values) profoundly affected the result of image segmentation and T1 mapping. These effects could be mitigated by correcting for both flip angle and inversion efficiency deviations. Based on the corrected T1 maps, new, 'flattened', MP2RAGE contrast images were generated, that were no longer affected by variations of the transmit field. Unlike the uncorrected MP2RAGE contrast images acquired at 9.4T, these flattened images yielded image segmentations comparable to 3T, making bias-field correction prior to image segmentation and tissue classification unnecessary. In terms of the T1 estimates at high field, the proposed correction methods resulted in an improved precision, with test-retest variability below 1% and a coefficient-of-variation across 25 subjects below 3%.

Detecting phylogenetic signal in mutualistic interaction networks using a Markov process model.

Ecological interaction networks, such as those describing the mutualistic interactions between plants and their pollinators or between plants and their frugivores, exhibit non-random structural properties that cannot be explained by simple models of network formation. One factor affecting the formation and eventual structure of such a network is its evolutionary history. We argue that this, in many cases, is closely linked to the evolutionary histories of the species involved in the interactions. Indeed, empirical studies of interaction networks along with the phylogenies of the interacting species have demonstrated significant associations between phylogeny and network structure. To date, however, no generative model explaining the way in which the evolution of individual species affects the evolution of interaction networks has been proposed. We present a model describing the evolution of pairwise interactions as a branching Markov process, drawing on phylogenetic models of molecular evolution. Using knowledge of the phylogenies of the interacting species, our model yielded a significantly better fit to 21% of a set of plant - pollinator and plant - frugivore mutualistic networks. This highlights the importance, in a substantial minority of cases, of inheritance of interaction patterns without excluding the potential role of ecological novelties in forming the current network architecture. We suggest that our model can be used as a null model for controlling evolutionary signals when evaluating the role of other factors in shaping the emergence of ecological networks.

A genome-wide survey and functional brain imaging study identify CTNNBL1 as a memory-related gene.

Unbiased genome-wide screens combined with imaging data on brain function may identify novel molecular pathways related to human cognition. Here we performed a dense genome-wide screen to identify episodic memory-related gene variants. A genomic locus encoding the brain-expressed beta-catenin-like protein 1 (CTNNBL1) was significantly (P=7 × 10(-8)) associated with verbal memory performance in a cognitively healthy cohort from Switzerland (n=1073) and was replicated in a second cohort from Serbia (n=524; P=0.003). Gene expression studies showed CTNNBL1 genotype-dependent differences in beta-catenin-like protein 1 mRNA levels in the human cortex. Functional magnetic resonance imaging in 322 subjects detected CTNNBL1 genotype-dependent differences in memory-related brain activations. Converging evidence from independent experiments and different methodological approaches suggests a role for CTNNBL1 in human memory.

High-resolution Fourier-encoded sub-millisecond echo time musculoskeletal imaging at 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla.

PURPOSE: The feasibility of imaging musculoskeletal fibrous tissue components, such as menisci, ligaments, and tendons, with a conventional spoiled gradient echo technique is explored in vivo at 3 T and 7 T. METHODS: To this end, the echo time (TE1 ) of a conventional Fourier-encoded multicontrast three-dimensional SGPR sequence is minimized by using nonselective excitation pulses, highly asymmetric readouts, and a variable TE1 along the phase and slice encoding direction. In addition, a fully sampled second echo image (with TE2 >> TE1 ) can be used to highlight components with short transverse relaxation times in a difference image with positive contrast. RESULTS: Fourier-encoded spoiled gradient echo sequences are able to provide sub-millisecond TE1 of about 800 µs for typical in-plane resolutions of about 0.5 x 0.5 mm(2) . As a result, high-resolution positive contrast images of fibrous tissues can be generated within clinically feasible scan-time of about 2-7 minutes. CONCLUSION: After optimization, Fourier-encoded spoiled gradient echo provides a highly robust and flexible imaging technique for high-resolution positive contrast imaging of fibrous tissue that can readily be used in the clinical routine.

Neural effects of green tea extract on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Green tea is being recognized as a beverage with potential benefits for human health and cognitive functions. In vivo studies provide preliminary evidence that green tea intake may have a positive role in improving effects on cognitive functions. We aimed to examine the neural effects of green tea extract on brain activation in humans. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was recorded while 12 healthy volunteers performed a working memory task following administration of 250 or 500 ml of a milk whey based green tea containing soft drink or milk whey based soft drink without green tea as control in a double-blind, controlled repeated measures within-subject design with counterbalanced order of substance administration. A whole-brain analysis with a cluster-level threshold of P<0.001 (unadjusted) was followed by an a priori-defined region of interest (ROI) analysis of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) including a cluster-level threshold of P<0.05 and family-wise error (FWE) adjustment for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: Whole-brain analyses revealed no significant effects after correction for multiple comparisons (FWE P<0.05). Using a ROI approach, green tea extract increased activation in the DLPFC relative to a control condition (FWE P<0.001). This neural effect was related to green tea dosage. Green tea extract was not associated with any significant attenuation in regional activation relative to control condition. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that green tea extract may modulate brain activity in the DLPFC, a key area that mediates working memory processing in the human brain. Moreover, this is the first neuroimaging study implicating that functional neuroimaging methods provide a means of examining how green tea extract acts on the brain.

Feasibility of in vivo myelin water imaging using 3D multigradient-echo pulse sequences.

Quantitative myelin water imaging is able to show demyelinating processes and, therefore, provides insight into the pathology of white matter diseases such as multiple sclerosis. So far, mapping of the myelin water fraction most often was performed using single-slice multiecho spin-echo sequences. Recently, a different approach using two-dimensional multigradient-echo pulse sequences was suggested. In this work, a solution to three-dimensional in vivo myelin water fraction imaging is presented that applies multigradient-echo pulse sequences and uses non-negative least squares algorithms to analyze the multicomponent T*(2) decay. The suggested method offers not only whole brain coverage but also clinically practicable acquisition times. The obtained myelin water fraction values are low (6.9% for white matter) but are able to detect demyelination in multiple sclerosis lesions. However, the clinical application of the proposed method remains questionable, because further measurements that clarify the possibility of detecting ongoing processes in lesions are needed.

Fast diffusion-weighted steady state free precession imaging of in vivo knee cartilage.

Quantification of molecular diffusion with steady state free precession (SSFP) is complicated by the fact that diffusion effects accumulate over several repetition times (TR) leading to complex signal dependencies on transverse and longitudinal magnetization paths. This issue is commonly addressed by setting TR > T(2), yielding strong attenuation of all higher modes, except of the shortest ones. As a result, signal attenuation from diffusion becomes T(2) independent but signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and sequence efficiency are remarkably poor. In this work, we present a new approach for fast in vivo steady state free precession diffusion-weighted imaging of cartilage with TR << T(2) offering a considerable increase in signal-to-noise ratio and sequence efficiency. At a first glance, prominent coupling between magnetization paths seems to complicate quantification issues in this limit, however, it is observed that diffusion effects become rather T(2) (ΔD ≈ 1/10 ΔT(2)) but not T(1) independent (ΔD ≈ 1/2 ΔT(1)) for low flip angles α ≈ 10 - 15°. As a result, fast high-resolution (0.35 × 0.35 - 0.50 × 0.50 mm(2) in-plane resolution) quantitative diffusion-weighted imaging of human articular cartilage is demonstrated at 3.0 T in a clinical setup using estimated T(1) and T(2) or a combination of measured T(1) and estimated T(2) values.

Fast high-resolution brain imaging with balanced SSFP: Interpretation of quantitative magnetization transfer towards simple MTR.

Magnetization transfer (MT) reflects the exchange of magnetization between protons bound to macromolecules, such as lipids and proteins, and protons in free liquid, and thus might be an early marker for subtle and undetermined pathologic changes in tissue. Detailed analysis of the entire MT phenomenon, however, commonly requires extensive data acquisition and scanning time, and hence is only of limited clinical interest. Therefore, in practice, magnetization transfer effects are commonly confined into a simple ratio measure, the so-called magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), calculated from a MT-weighted and a non-MT-weighted image. However, subtle physiologic and pathologic changes in tissue, invaluable for specific diagnostic imaging, may be lost since MTR-values depend not only on quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) parameters but also on sequence parameters and relaxation properties. In order to evaluate and assess the diagnostic specificity of MTR versus qMT, high-resolution whole brain MT data was collected from twelve healthy volunteers using balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP). In contrast to common MT imaging based on spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) sequences, whole brain qMT imaging can be performed with MT-sensitized bSSFP within a clinically feasible acquisition time. Hence, MT-sensitized bSSFP provides access to both MTR and qMT parameters within a clinical setting. The reliability and possible diagnostic value of MTR are analyzed for twelve white matter (WM) and eleven gray matter (GM) structures of the normal appearing brain. Strong correlations were found within and between longitudinal and transverse relaxation times (T1, T2) and MT parameters (ratio between macromolecular and water protons, F, and magnetization exchange rate, kf), whereas weaker correlations were observed between MTR-values and relaxation times or MT parameters. Structures with highly similar MTR-values, such as the crus cerebri and the anterior commissure in the WM, or the pallidum and the amygdala in the GM, however, were also found that showed significant differences in most quantitative parameters. This observation was confirmed from simulations revealing that the overall effect on MTR from an increase (decrease) in relaxation times may be counterbalanced with a decrease (increase) in MT parameters. These findings corroborate the expectation that qMT is superior to MTR imaging, especially for the evaluation and assessment of pathologic or physiological changes in healthy and pathologic brain tissue.

Use of respiratory biofeedback and CLAWS for increased navigator efficiency for imaging the thoracic aorta.

A novel technique to guide a subjects' breathing pattern using a respiratory biofeedback (rBF) "game" to improve respiratory efficiency is presented. The continuously adaptive windowing strategy, a fully automatic and highly efficient free-breathing navigator gated technique, is used to acquire the data as it ensures that all potential navigator acceptance windows are possible. This enables the rBF to be fully adaptable to a subject's respiratory pattern. Images of the thoracic aorta acquired using balanced steady-state free precession with continuously adaptive windowing strategy respiratory motion control, with and without rBF, were compared in 10 healthy subjects. Total scan time was reduced by using rBF. The mean scan time was reduced from 7 min 44 s (463 cardiac cycles, ± 127 cc) without rBF to 5 min 43 s (380 cardiac cycles, ± 118 cc) with the use of rBF (P < 0.05). Respiratory efficiency was increased from 45% without rBF to 56% with rBF (P < 0.01). Image quality was the same for both techniques (P = ns). In conclusion, rBF significantly improved respiratory efficiency and reduced acquisition duration without affecting image quality.

Intrascanner and interscanner variability of magnetization transfer-sensitized balanced steady-state free precession imaging.

Recently, a new and fast three-dimensional imaging technique for magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) imaging has been proposed based on a balanced steady-state free precession protocol with modified radiofrequency pulses. In this study, optimal balanced steady-state free precession MTR protocol parameters were derived for maximum stability and reproducibility. Variability between scans was assessed within white and gray matter for nine healthy volunteers using two different 1.5 T clinical systems at six different sites. Intrascanner and interscanner MTR measurements were well reproducible (coefficient of variation: c(v) < 0.012 and c(v) < 0.015, respectively) and results indicate a high stability across sites (c(v) < 0.017) for optimal flip angle settings. This study demonstrates that balanced steady-state free precession MTR not only benefits from short acquisition time and high signal-to-noise ratio but also offers excellent reproducibility and low variability, and it is thus proposed for clinical MTR scans at individual sites as well as for multicenter studies.

Finite RF pulse correction on DESPOT2.

Magnetization transfer and finite radiofrequency (RF) pulses affect the steady state of balanced steady state free precession. As quantification of transverse relaxation (T2) with driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T2 is based on two balanced steady state free precession acquisitions, both effects can influence the outcome of this method: a short RF pulse per repetition time (TRF/TR≪1) leads to considerable magnetization transfer effects, whereas prolonged RF pulses (TRF/TR>0.2) minimize magnetization transfer effects, but lead to increased finite pulse effects. A correction for finite pulse effects is thus implemented in the driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T2 theory to compensate for reduced transverse relaxation effects during excitation. It is shown that the correction successfully removes the driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T2 dependency on the RF pulse duration. A reduction of the variation in obtained T2 from over 50% to less than 10% is achieved. We hereby provide a means of acquiring magnetization transfer-free balanced steady state free precession images to yield accurate T2 values using elongated RF pulses.

Combining 3D tracking and surgical instrumentation to determine the stiffness of spinal motion segments: a validation study.

The spine is a complex structure that provides motion in three directions: flexion and extension, lateral bending and axial rotation. So far, the investigation of the mechanical and kinematic behavior of the basic unit of the spine, a motion segment, is predominantly a domain of in vitro experiments on spinal loading simulators. Most existing approaches to measure spinal stiffness intraoperatively in an in vivo environment use a distractor. However, these concepts usually assume a planar loading and motion. The objective of our study was to develop and validate an apparatus, that allows to perform intraoperative in vivo measurements to determine both the applied force and the resulting motion in three dimensional space. The proposed setup combines force measurement with an instrumented distractor and motion tracking with an optoelectronic system. As the orientation of the applied force and the three dimensional motion is known, not only force-displacement, but also moment-angle relations could be determined. The validation was performed using three cadaveric lumbar ovine spines. The lateral bending stiffness of two motion segments per specimen was determined with the proposed concept and compared with the stiffness acquired on a spinal loading simulator which was considered to be gold standard. The mean values of the stiffness computed with the proposed concept were within a range of ±15% compared to data obtained with the spinal loading simulator under applied loads of less than 5 Nm.

Positive contrast visualization of SPIO-labeled pancreatic islets using echo-dephased steady-state free precession.

OBJECTIVE: MRI has recently been introduced as a promising method of monitoring the transplanted pancreatic islets labelled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO). However, the traditional [Formula: see text]-weighted approach frequently yields ambiguous results because of the negative contrast of the SPIO particles on the background of other body components. This obstacle could be overcome with the use of a novel method known as echo-dephased steady state free precession (SSFP), generating positive contrast in the presence of paramagnetic material. METHODS: In phantoms, we achieved exact localisation and clear positive contrast visualisation of human SPIO labelled islets. Using the proposed method we demonstrated the ability to detect even a single pancreatic islet against a homogeneous background. RESULTS: In vivo experiments in rats confirmed reliable and accurate localisation of transplanted SPIO labelled islets. CONCLUSION: The echo-dephased SSFP technique could successfully visualise SPIO-labelled human and rat pancreatic islets yielding a positive contrast.