TY - JOUR T1 - Three-Dimensional, T1-Weighted Gradient-Echo Imaging of the Brain with a Volumetric Interpolated Examination JF - American Journal of Neuroradiology JO - Am. J. Neuroradiol. SP - 995 LP - 1002 VL - 23 IS - 6 AU - Stephan G. Wetzel AU - Glyn Johnson AU - Andrew G. S. Tan AU - Soonmee Cha AU - Edmond A. Knopp AU - Vivian S. Lee AU - David Thomasson AU - Neil M. Rofsky Y1 - 2002/06/01 UR - http://www.ajnr.org/content/23/6/995.abstract N2 - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: T1-weighted, 3D gradient-echo MR sequences can be optimized for rapid acquisition and improved resolution through asymmetric k-space sampling and interpolation. We compared a volumetric interpolated brain examination (VIBE) sequence with a magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MP RAGE) sequence and a 2D T1-weighted spin-echo (SE) sequence.METHODS: Thirty consecutive patients known or suspected to have focal brain lesions underwent postcontrast studies (20 mL of gadopentetate dimeglumine) with VIBE, MP RAGE, and 2D T1-weighted SE imaging. Source and 5-mm VIBE and MP RAGE reformations, and 5-mm T1-weighted SE images were compared qualitatively and by using signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). SNRs in a gadolinium-doped water phantom were also measured for all three sequences.RESULTS: On the source images, SNRs for gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), and CNRs for WM-to-GM and contrast-enhancing lesion-to-GM were slightly, but significantly higher for the VIBE sequence than for the MP RAGE sequence (P < .05). On 5-mm reformations, WM-to-GM CNR was significantly higher on VIBE and MP RAGE images than on T1-weighted SE images (P < .001), but contrast-enhancing lesion-to-GM CNRs were higher on SE images compared with both gradient-echo sequences (P < .001). Qualitatively, VIBE images showed fewer flow artifacts than did SE and MP RAGE images (P < .05). In the phantom, VIBE SNR was higher than MP RAGE SNR for short T1 relaxation times.CONCLUSION: VIBE provides an effective, alternative approach to MP RAGE for fast 3D T1-weighted imaging of the brain. ER -