Multi-parametric quantitative in vivo spinal cord MRI with unified signal readout and image denoising.

ABSTRACT: Multi-parametric quantitative MRI (qMRI) of the spinal cord is a promising non-invasive tool to probe early microstructural damage in neurological disorders. It is usually performed in vivo by combining acquisitions with multiple signal readouts, which exhibit different thermal noise levels, geometrical distortions and susceptibility to physiological noise. This ultimately hinders joint multi-contrast modelling and makes the geometric correspondence of parametric maps challenging. We propose an approach to overcome these limitations, by implementing state-of-the-art microstructural MRI of the spinal cord with a unified signal readout in vivo (i.e. with matched spatial encoding parameters across a range of imaging contrasts). We base our acquisition on single-shot echo planar imaging with r

SUBMITTER: Grussu F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7378937 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature