In this work, a multiecho parallel echo-planar imaging (EPI) acquisition strategy is introduced as a way to improve the acquisition efficiency in parallel diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). With the use of an appropriate echo combination strategy, the sequence can provide signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement while maintaining the advantages of parallel EPI. Simulations and in vivo experiments demonstrate that a weighted summation of multiecho images provides a significant gain in SNR over the first echo image. It is experimentally demonstrated that this SNR gain can be utilized to reduce the number of measurements often required to ensure adequate SNR for accurate DTI measures. Furthermore, the multiple echoes can be used to derive a T(2) map, providing additional information that might be useful in some applications.
(c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.