RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Transition into Driven Equilibrium of the Balanced Steady-State Free Precession as an Ultrafast Multisection T2-Weighted Imaging of the Brain
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
SP 1137
OP 1144
DO 10.3174/ajnr.A3863
VO 35
IS 6
A1 Y.-C.K. Huang
A1 T.-Y. Huang
A1 H.-C. Chiu
A1 T.-S. Kuo
A1 C.-J. Hsueh
A1 H.-W. Kao
A1 C.-W. Wang
A1 H.-H. Hsu
A1 C.-J. Juan
YR 2014
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/35/6/1137.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Current T2-weighted imaging takes >3 minutes to perform, for which the ultrafast transition into driven equilibrium (TIDE) technique may be potentially helpful. This study qualitatively and quantitatively evaluates the imaging of transition into driven equilibrium of the balanced steady-state free precession (TIDE) compared with TSE and turbo gradient spin-echo on T2-weighted MR images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty healthy volunteers were examined with T2-weighted images by using TIDE, TSE, and turbo gradient spin-echo sequences. Imaging was evaluated qualitatively by 2 independent observers on the basis of a 4-point rating scale regarding contrast characteristics and artifacts behavior. Image SNR and contrast-to-noise ratio were quantitatively assessed. RESULTS: TIDE provided T2-weighted contrast similar to that in TSE and turbo gradient spin-echo with only one-eighth of the scan time. TIDE showed gray-white matter differentiation and iron-load sensitivity inferior that of TSE and turbo gradient spin-echo, but with improved motion artifacts reduction on qualitative scores. Nonmotion ghosting artifacts were uniquely found in TIDE images. The overall SNRs of TSE were 1.9–2.0 times those of turbo gradient spin-echo and 1.7–2.2 times of those of TIDE for brain tissue (P < .0001). TIDE had a higher contrast-to-noise ratio than TSE (P = .169) and turbo gradient spin-echo (P < .0001) regarding non-iron-containing gray matter versus white matter. TIDE had a lower contrast-to-noise ratio than turbo gradient spin-echo and TSE (P < .0001) between iron-containing gray matter and white matter. CONCLUSIONS: TIDE provides T2-weighted images with reduced scan times and reduced motion artifacts compared with TSE and turbo gradient spin-echo with the trade-off of reduced SNR and poorer gray-white matter differentiation. CNRcontrast-to-noise ratioTGSEturbo gradient spin-echoTIDEtransition into driven equilibrium