Characterization of lenticulostriate arteries with high resolution black-blood T1-weighted turbo spin echo with variable flip angles at 3 and 7 Tesla.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) with small diameters of a few hundred microns take origin directly from the high flow middle cerebral artery (MCA), making them especially susceptible to damage (e.g. by hypertension). This study aims to present high resolution (isotropic ∼0.5 mm), black blood MRI for the visualization and characterization of LSAs at both 3 T and 7 T.

Materials and methods

T1-weighted 3D turbo spin-echo with variable flip angles (T1w TSE-VFA) sequences were optimized for the visualization of LSAs by performing extended phase graph (EPG) simulations. Twenty healthy volunteers (15 under 35 years old, 5 over 60 years old) were imaged with the T1w TSE-VFA sequences at both 3 T and 7 T. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was quantified, and LSAs were man

SUBMITTER: Ma SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6688958 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature