Mono-Exponential Fitting in T2-Relaxometry: Relevance of Offset and First Echo.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

T2 relaxometry has become an important tool in quantitative MRI. Little focus has been put on the effect of the refocusing flip angle upon the offset parameter, which was introduced to account for a signal floor due to noise or to long T2 components. The aim of this study was to show that B1 imperfections contribute significantly to the offset. We further introduce a simple method to reduce the systematic error in T2 by discarding the first echo and using the offset fitting approach.

Materials and methods

Signal curves of T2 relaxometry were simulated based on extended phase graph theory and evaluated for 4 different methods (inclusion and exclusion of the first echo, while fitting with and without the offset). We further performed T2 relaxometry in a phantom at

SUBMITTER: Milford D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4683054 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature