3D MR fingerprinting for dynamic contrast‐enhanced imaging of whole mouse brain
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· 2024
· Open Access
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· DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.30253
· OA: W4396624513
Purpose Quantitative MRI enables direct quantification of contrast agent concentrations in contrast‐enhanced scans. However, the lengthy scan times required by conventional methods are inadequate for tracking contrast agent transport dynamically in mouse brain. We developed a 3D MR fingerprinting (MRF) method for simultaneous T 1 and T 2 mapping across the whole mouse brain with 4.3‐min temporal resolution. Method We designed a 3D MRF sequence with variable acquisition segment lengths and magnetization preparations on a 9.4T preclinical MRI scanner. Model‐based reconstruction approaches were employed to improve the accuracy and speed of MRF acquisition. The method's accuracy for T 1 and T 2 measurements was validated in vitro, while its repeatability of T 1 and T 2 measurements was evaluated in vivo ( n = 3). The utility of the 3D MRF sequence for dynamic tracking of intracisternally infused gadolinium‐diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd‐DTPA) in the whole mouse brain was demonstrated ( n = 5). Results Phantom studies confirmed accurate T 1 and T 2 measurements by 3D MRF with an undersampling factor of up to 48. Dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRF scans achieved a spatial resolution of 192 × 192 × 500 μm 3 and a temporal resolution of 4.3 min, allowing for the analysis and comparison of dynamic changes in concentration and transport kinetics of intracisternally infused Gd‐DTPA across brain regions. The sequence also enabled highly repeatable, high‐resolution T 1 and T 2 mapping of the whole mouse brain (192 × 192 × 250 μm 3 ) in 30 min. Conclusion We present the first dynamic and multi‐parametric approach for quantitatively tracking contrast agent transport in the mouse brain using 3D MRF.
