Fast whole brain relaxometry with Magnetic Resonance Spin TomogrAphy in Time-domain (MR-STAT) at 3 T: a retrospective cohort study

Martin B. Schilder*, Stefano Mandija, Sarah M. Jacobs, Jordi P.D. Kleinloog, Hanna Liu, Oscar van der Heide, Beyza Köktaş, Federico D’Agata, Vera C.W. Keil, Evert Jan P.A. Vonken, Jan Willem Dankbaar, Jeroen Hendrikse, Tom J. Snijders, Cornelis A.T. van den Berg, Anja G. van der Kolk, Alessandro Sbrizzi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Objective: To report T1/T2-values of normal and normal appearing brain tissues (NBTs, healthy volunteers; NABTs, patients) acquired with a whole-brain 5-minute Magnetic Resonance Spin TomogrAphy in Time-domain (MR-STAT) protocol, and to explore relaxometry behavior in a brain tumor and in a multiple sclerosis patient. Methods: MR-STAT was acquired in 49 participants (39 patients with neurological pathologies, age range: 21–79 years) at 3 T. Mean T1/T2-values were computed for: normal and normal appearing grey matter (NGM/NAGM)/white matter (NWM/NAWM)/thalamus/putamen/caudate nucleus (CN)/globus pallidus (GP). Differences between sex, brain lobes, and left/right were assessed. The age-dependency of T1/T2-values in N(A)BTs was investigated. Relaxometry analysis was performed in two clinical case examples. Results: Mean (standard deviation) T1/T2-values were measured in N(A)GM = 1086(73)/74(9) ms; N(A)WM = 658(24)/48(3) ms; thalamus = 783(51)/42(4) ms; putamen = 863(40)/46(3) ms; CN = 1042(97)/63(9) ms; GP = 652(36)/36(3) ms. Differences between sex were not significant. T1/T2-values between the left/right parietal lobe and the left/right temporal lobe were significantly different. The quadratic age-dependency of T1-values in the CN (p = 0.00039) and GP (p = 0.00037), and of T2-values in the thalamus (p = 0.00044) and GP (p = 0.003) were significant. Pathological tissues could be discerned from NABTs using T1/T2-values. Discussion: T1/T2-values and data trends agree with literature, supporting the validity of MR-STAT as a clinical option for fast relaxometry despite the relatively low number of subjects in the study. Future work should aim to include healthy participants of a wider age-range and to include B1-field corrections.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)333-345
JournalMagnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine
Volume38
Issue number2
Early online date4 Mar 2025
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2025

Keywords

  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Neuroimaging
  • Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging
  • Relaxometry

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