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Optimization of diffusion-weighted single-refocused spin-echo EPI by reducing eddy-current artifacts and shortening the echo time

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Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this work was to optimize the acquisition of diffusion-weighted (DW) single-refocused spin-echo (srSE) data without intrinsic eddy-current compensation (ECC) for an improved performance of ECC postprocessing. The rationale is that srSE sequences without ECC may yield shorter echo times (TE) and thus higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) than srSE or twice-refocused spin-echo (trSE) schemes with intrinsic ECC.

Materials and methods

The proposed method employs dummy scans with DW gradients to drive eddy currents into a steady state before data acquisition. Parameters of the ECC postprocessing algorithm were also optimized. Simulations were performed to obtain minimum TE values for the proposed sequence and sequences with intrinsic ECC. Experimentally, the proposed method was compared with standard DW-trSE imaging, both in vitro and in vivo.

Results

Simulations showed substantially shorter TE for the proposed method than for methods with intrinsic ECC when using shortened echo readouts. Data of the proposed method showed a marked increase in SNR. A dummy scan duration of at least 1.5 s improved performance of the ECC postprocessing algorithm.

Conclusion

Changes proposed for the DW-srSE sequence and for the parameter setting of the postprocessing ECC algorithm considerably reduced eddy-current artifacts and provided a higher SNR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brain Imaging Center (BIC), Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Manoj Shrestha, Pavel Hok, Ulrike Nöth, Bianca Lienerth & Ralf Deichmann

  2. Department of Neurology, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Pavel Hok

Authors
  1. Manoj Shrestha
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  2. Pavel Hok
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  3. Ulrike Nöth
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  4. Bianca Lienerth
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  5. Ralf Deichmann
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Contributions

MS, PH, RD protocol/project development. BL, UN, MS Data collection or management. PH, MS data analysis.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manoj Shrestha.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the vivo study were approved by the local ethics committee of the University Hospital.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all healthy participants before scanning.

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Cite this article

Shrestha, M., Hok, P., Nöth, U. et al. Optimization of diffusion-weighted single-refocused spin-echo EPI by reducing eddy-current artifacts and shortening the echo time. Magn Reson Mater Phy 31, 585–597 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-018-0684-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-018-0684-x

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